---------------------------------
The SQLAlchemy C extensions have been replaced with all new extensions written
-in Cython_. The move to Cython provides dramatic new advantages with
-literally no downsides:
+in Cython_. While Cython was evaluated back in 2010 when the C extensions were
+first created, the nature and focus of the C extensions in use today has
+changed quite a bit from that time. At the same time, Cython has apparently
+evolved significantly, as has the Python build / distribution toolchain which
+made it feasible for us to revisit it.
+
+The move to Cython provides dramatic new advantages with
+no apparent downsides:
* The Cython extensions that replace specific C extensions have all benchmarked
- as **faster** than literally **all** the C code that SQLAlchemy previously
- included. While this seems amazing, it appears to be a product of how highly
- optimized Cython's routines are compared to a naive C implementation of a
- function.
+ as **faster**, often slightly, but sometimes significantly, than
+ virtually all the C code that SQLAlchemy previously
+ included. While this seems amazing, it appears to be a product of
+ non-obvious optimizations within Cython's implementation that would not be
+ present in a direct Python to C port of a function, as was particularly the
+ case for many of the custom collection types added to the C extensions.
* Cython extensions are much easier to write, maintain and debug compared to
raw C code, and in most cases are line-per-line equivalent to the Python