http://hg.python.org/lookup/59870239813c documents imp.find_module/load_module as deprecated w/o actually raising the deprecation. The code works fine, but the API is just crap. So in the name of ease of transition (and my own personal sanity), I didn't go full-blown deprecation. The remaining code that uses imp.find_module() in the stdlib uses the API's unique properties (e.g. executing under a different name in multiprocessing) or directly exposes the API (e.g. pkgutil and modulefinder). As for idle, I don't run the tool so I don't feel like editing the code and getting it wrong.