python adds an extra half space when reading from a string or list

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Mon, 01 Jul 2013 21:34:42 -0700, rusi wrote:

> 2. "I am killfiling you" is bullying behavior.  It is worse than useless
> because a. The problem cases couldn't care a hoot b. Those who could
> contribute usefully are shut up c. The messengers are being shot as
> substitute for the culprits

I don't accept this analysis. Withholding my attention is not bullying. I 
have no responsibility towards people asking questions here, apart from 
the ethical responsibility to not maliciously give them bad advice. I can 
come or go as I see fit, I can ignore those whom I so choose. If I were 
to abuse this right, say by refusing to answer questions asked by women, 
that would make me a dirty sexist bigot, but it wouldn't make me a bully, 
any more than taking a week off and not responding during that time makes 
me a bully.

If I choose to ignore those who (in my opinion) are not living up to the 
implied social contract ("don't be a dick, and I'll help you, if I can"), 
that's hardly bulling either.

Kill-filing is just a version of shunning. Like shunning in Real Life, I 
can do it for good reasons or bad. If I kill-file people because they 
said they preferred Ruby to Python, that would make me a dick, but if I 
kill-file people who disrupt the community, and do so publicly, I'm 
sending a signal to them that "your behaviour is unacceptable to me".

Provided enough people follow, shunning is an effective way to discourage 
disruptive behaviour. Trolls will get bored when they no longer get a 
response, and move on. Those actually wanting help will either get 
frustrated and move on, or mend their ways.

Kill-filing is not perfect, of course, but until such time that we can 
deliver a swift kick to the behind over the internet, it is the best we 
can do.

Oh, and one last point -- I have never kill-filed anyone merely for being 
the messenger that another person is causing trouble, as you suggest. I 
have kill-filed people for being abusive, for flaming, or for trolling.


-- 
Steven