How did the global interpreter lock help python build a user community?

The global interpreter lock was important because it enabled python to include a huge number of third party libraries from the get go.

This make the language very accessible and useful to many people quickly. It is why python developed a user community quickly and became quite popular.

See this video of me talking about how python developed a significant community.

Although from a technical perspective I dislike the global interpreter lock I can see how it was helpful in python gaining momentum and becoming as well used as it is today.

Here’s a broader talk by Prashanth and I talking about how Python managed to build so much momentum: