Firefox uses a tracing JIT.  Adobe’s been using it for a while.  A Python interpreter uses tracing.  Microsoft is also researching its possibilities.  So what’s the big deal?

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PyPy is a Python interpreter written in Python.  It claims to be faster than CPython for certain benchmark tests.  How can Python — not particularly known for its speed — interpret Python source code faster than an interpreter written in C?  Also, an interpreter written in Python sounds like a neat exercise, but what’s the point of doing this?

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PyCon 2010 was in Atlanta this year.  It wasn’t quite as warm as I hoped it would be, but definitely an improvement over the 2-3 feet of snow we got in the DC region.  I do feel a little smarter after attending PyCon, but also infinitely humbled by the creativity, energy, and raw intelligence in the Python community.  Here are some notes I took from the talks I attended…

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