Experiences/guidance on teaching Python as a first programming language

[Wolfgang Keller]

> > I've never heard C syntax reviled quite so intensely.  What syntax
> > do you like, out of curiosity?
> 
> Pascal, Python, if written by someone who uses semantic identifiers
> and avoids to use C(++)/Java-isms. I've seen Eiffel as well (without
> understanding it) and it didn't look ridiculous to me.

Nor did a recent dialect of Cobol (since someone else mentioned it)
horrify me at first sight to the point all those C-derivatives do. I
also get to use SQL a bit (instead of those "query builders" that I
consider as garbage), although that's just for databases of course.

Verbosity is definitely A Good Thing.

In fact, thinking of it, a really good language should imho *require*
verbosity (how about a *minimum* length - or maybe even a
dictionary-based sanity check - for identifiers?), since that already
keeps all those lazy morons away who think that "shortcuts are cool".

Sincerely,

Wolfgang