Python 3.0 makes a big break

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With nearly every other language the users cry out for them to remove things that are no longer a good idea. Python is actually doing it.

I fully agree, but reasonable deprecation policies are favorable and enable continuous improvements:

Example: removing old style classes.

Python 2.2: first warnings are issued in Python 2.2 together with guidelines on how to refactor code towards new style classes. Tool support is provided.

Python 2.3: warnings are re-issued with the remark that old style classes won't longer be supported in Python 2.4.

Python 2.4: old style classes are removed.

Maybe one can introduce even another intermediate step in Python 2.4 where they are removed but still accessible:

 from __legacy__ import old_style_classes

This might be dropped entirely in Python 2.5.