making python scripts backwards compatible

[Tim Peters]

[/F]
> (if the standard library is the only place where the core deve-
> lopers can gain experience from using new language features,
> I'm not sure we should add any new language features...)

It's not the only way, but it is the best way.  Using new features in CVS is
the only way we have to get broad x-platform testing before final release,
for any meaning of "broad" that isn't ludicrously narrow <wink>.