Comment on draft PEP for deprecating six builtins

[James J. Besemer]

Steve Holden wrote:

> Well, speaking as a US-based Englishman (from Yorkshire, where sarcasm comes
> as naturally as calling your best friend a stupid bastard) I have to say my
> experience is that *some* Americans will *say* they value straight talk
> until they actually receive some, Then one is being "aggressive".

Sad but true.  I trust you don't lump me in that category.

> Seriously, little mild-mannered me had to undergo self-administered behavior
> therapy to stop me from saying what I really thought, just in the interests
> of "getting along with my colleagues". The fact that they were building crap
> web sites in a piss-poor language with no architecture and not even the
> slightest acknowledgement that security might be important [...].

So tell us what you REALLY thought.

> We got on even better after I left, and now I haven't spoken to any of them
> for three years we are the best of pals.

Yeah, I gotta a few friends like that.  ;o)

> They can, but they can also alienate someone who is genuinely trying to
> reach a meeting of the minds over some topic. Particularly if there's any
> ambiguity about the intent of the sarcasm, which is after all a double-edged
> sword.

I reluctantly admit it can be unproductive with people you don't know well.
Even well intentioned humor can backfire, as humor generally advances at
someone's expense.

> What's a rhetorical question?

Would you really be asking if you didn't already know the answer?

> So would this be a good time to say "Shut up, you stupid bastard"?

Oh yeah?  I fahart in your general direction.

Regards

--jb

--
James J. Besemer  503-280-0838 voice
http://cascade-sys.com  503-280-0375 fax
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