simplified Python parsing question

[Eric S. Johansson]

On 7/30/2012 9:54 PM, Steven D'Aprano wrote:
> On Mon, 30 Jul 2012 11:40:50 -0400, Eric S. Johansson wrote:
>
>> If you have been reading the papers, you would understand what I'm
>> doing.
> That is the second time, at least, that you have made a comment like that.

Actually, it's probably more like the forth hundred time. :-) I apologize, I was 
wrong and I would back up and start over again if I could
>
> Understand that most people are not going to follow links to find out
> whether or not they are interested in what you have to say. If you can't
> give a brief explanation of what you are doing in your email or news
> post, many people aren't going to read on. Perhaps they intend to but are
> too busy, or they have email access but web access is restricted, or
> they've already got 200 tabs open in their browser and don't want any
> more (I'm not exaggerating, I know people like that).

accept criticism. I'm still working on an elevator pitch for this concept. I've 
been living with the technology and all its variations for about 10 years and 
it's not easy to explain to someone who is not disabled. People with working 
hands don't understand how isolating and, sometimes humiliating software can be. 
advocates like myself sometimes get a little tired of saying the same thing over 
and over and over again and people who are disabled just don't care. So you find 
yourself using shorthand because you going to be ignored anyway
>
> People use email because it is a "push" technology -- you don't have to
> go out and look for information, it gets pushed into your inbox. Clicking
> on links is a "pull" technology -- you have to make the explicit decision
> to click the link, open a browser, go out to the Internet and read who
> knows what. That requires a different frame of mind. Expect to lose some
> of your audience every time you require them to follow a link.

Okay, this implies the need to really work on more of an elevator/summary 
speech. Thank you for your input. I appreciate it
>
> And *especially* so if that it a link to Google Docs, instead of an
> normal web page. Google Docs is, in my opinion, a nasty piece of rubbish
> that doesn't run on any of my browsers. As far as I'm concerned, I'd
> rather download a Word doc, because at least I can open that in
> OpenOffice or Abiword and read it. Something in Google Docs might as well
> be locked in a safe as far as I'm concerned.

the ability for multiple people to work on the same document at the same time is 
really important. Can't do that with Word or Libre office.  revision tracking  
in traditional word processors are unpleasant to work with especially if your 
hands are broken.

It would please me greatly if you would be willing to try an experiment. live my 
life for a while. Sit in a chair and tell somebody what to type and where to 
move the mouse without moving your hands. keep your hands gripping the arms or 
the sides of the chair. The rule is you can't touch the keyboard you can't touch 
the mice, you can't point at the screen. I suspect you would have a hard time 
surviving half a day with these limitations. no embarrassment in that, most 
people wouldn't make it as far as a half a day.  I've had to live with it since 
1994. Not trying to brag, just pointing out the facts.

I'm going to try again from a different angle in a different thread. I will take 
your advice to heart and I would appreciate some feedback on how well I do 
satisfying the issues you have described