PEP 308: Alternative conditional operator forms

[Terry Reedy]

"Carel Fellinger" <carel.fellinger at chello.nl> wrote in message
news:mailman.1045015985.18107.python-list at python.org...
> But I do follow c.l.py, I even try to follow this thread!  And I do
> care about the outcome, whatever it maybe.  So why should my
position
> not be accounted for?  God knows how many not-voters are dead
against,
> pro or indifferent to this language change.  The only clue we get is
> through voting.  So why is it that pro/against votes of voters do
count
> although their might be many many more against/pro users not voting,
and
> indifferent voters not count at all?

'Indifferent' literally means "I do not care whether Python remains as
is (modulo changes in other areas of the language) or whether this
change is made".

> Sure you'll agree that *if* pro/against groups both were real
minorities
> that then changing the language was out of the question.

But here you suggest that 'indifferent' be counted as 'against'.  I
don't agree.  It would be just as sensible to me to either split the
'indifferent' vote or distribute it in proportion to the against/for
votes.  Concretely: if 2 people vote no, 20 vote yes, and 30 vote
don't care, I disagree that the 30 don't cares should all be treated
as nos.  The issue is binary; either a patch is made or not.

> There are many
> small groups lobying to get their pet in, and it would be silly to
do so.
> Unless it's a great idea, and fortunately that's still Guido to
decide:)
>
> If indefferent votes were counted too, we could tell how large or
small
> the pro/against groups are, *all* related to the number of people
taking
> their time to vote ofcourse.

But it is not clear what to do with such information.

Terry J. Reedy