map/filter/reduce/lambda opinions and background unscientific mini-survey

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Fri, 01 Jul 2005 19:15:46 -0700, Erik Max Francis wrote:

> Sean McIlroy wrote:
> 
>> if that's the case then list
>> comprehensions and/or "first class functions" are likely to be the next
>> target.
> 
> Slippery slope arguments are logical fallacies, you know.

Not if you are actually standing on a slippery slope. But seriously, no,
they aren't. The slippery slope argument is _not_ "X is happening now, so
Y will happen no matter what we do". That would be a fallacy.

The argument is actually "X is happening now. If X continues to happen
into the future, Y is the logical consequence of that process. If we wish
to avoid Y, we must stop X". And that is not a fallacy in general
(although of course it could be, if there is no causal relationship
between X and Y).

In this particular case, I suspect Sean is wrong. Guido seems to like list
comprehensions. Unless I'm mistaken (not for the first time) I think he
actually introduced them to the language. They won't be going anywhere
anytime soon.


-- 
Steven