syntax question: "<>" and "!=" operators

[Mike Dean]

* David Mertz, Ph.D. <mertz at gnosis.cx> [2002-17-03 15:08]:
> Nonetheless, I think of the natural language semantics of the
> symbols--or maybe better "insinuations"--prefers '<>' to '!='.  The
> (good) one suggests "is greater than or less than (but not equal to)".
> I know that not everything is technically in an order relation, but it
> still "makes sense" at a first approximation.  The (bad) one looks like
> some odd sort of augmented assignment.  "Hmmm... assign, what?  The
> negation of the right side to the left side?!  The LHS negated with the
> RHS?!"

One thing that's always baffled me on this issue (along these lines) -
why does Python have != as a not-equal operator, when ! is not the not
operator?

-Michael

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