[Python-3000] Support for PEP 3131

[Ka-Ping Yee]

On Fri, 25 May 2007, Guillaume Proux wrote:
> If you are really paranoid to see evil chars take over your
> python src dir

On Sun, 3 Jun 2007, Stephen J. Turnbull wrote:
> I do not agree with Ka-Ping inter alia that there are bogeymen
> under the bed

Sigh.  I have lost count of the number of times I (and others by
association) have been labelled "paranoid" or something similar in
this discussion, and I am now asking you all to put a stop to it.
Name-calling isn't going to do us any good.

(I am sorry that this is in reply to your message, Stephen -- your
message above is one of the gentlest of the lot; it just happens to
be the most recent, and I have finally been pushed over the edge
into saying something about it.)

Please: can we all stick to statements about usage, problems, and
solutions, not about the personalities of those who propose them?

Here is what I have to say (to everyone in this discussion, not
specifically to you, Stephen) in response to said labelling:

Many of us value a *predictable* identifier character set.
Whether "predictable" means ASCII only, or user-selectable, or
restricted by default, I think we all agree in this sentiment:

We believe that we should try to make it easier, not harder, for
programmers to understand what Python code says.  This has many
benefits (reliability, readability, transparency, reviewability,
debuggability).  I consider these core strengths of Python.

Python is a source code language.  In other languages you share
binaries, but in Python you share and directly run source code.
This is fundamental to its impact on open source, its impact on
education, and its prevalence as an extension language.

That is what makes these strengths so important.  I hope this
helps you understand why these concerns can't and shouldn't be
brushed off as "paranoia" -- this really has to do with the
core values of the language.


-- ?!ng