PEP0238 lament

[Arthur Siegel]

>>Change assignment to work like a
>>copy, because there are many people >>confused with the reference
semantic?

>EXACTLY.

To the extent anybody is interested in the first hand
experience of a novice programmer - rather than the
second hand report (made privately to the appropriate
authorities) of non-programmers - you happen to be
right near the mark of where some real issues lie.

To the extent anybody cares - and there is no particular
reason anybody should - the anger in my posts that Guido
interprets as directed toward him, is real anger.  But not
meant to be directed at him.

Except to the extent that I feel he unwittingly collaborates
in the breakdown of community dynamics.  Aloofness from
the community should count against, not for, one's cause -
whatever it happens to be.

PEP0238 is conclusionary as to the experience of novices.
Certainly its conclusions were not out of the experience of
its advocates. How were conclusions drawn before
the question was asked?

Why aren't the folks who drew and reported those conclusions
here to defend them, to the extent they are called into
question.  Under the circumstances of considerable
controversy, at least.

Let the evidence stand up to at least a little scrutiny before
decisions are made based on it.

Why isn't some anger to be expected - or why doesn't the
leadership at least recognized how the dynamics here
are primed beautifully for an angry debate?

ART