The “does Python have variables?” debate

[Michael Torrie]

On 05/08/2014 07:18 AM, Steven D'Aprano wrote:
> Nobody has suggested flogging anyone, not even figuratively. Unless you 
> believe that correcting a misapprehension, no matter how gently it is 
> done, is a flogging, I don't see how you draw the conclusion that Ben is 
> talking about flogging anyone.

Agreed, although this entire thread of conversation kind of illustrates
a kind of debating of issues that happen regularly on this mailing list
and probably does turn off a lot of newbies, and probably turned off the
original poster a long time ago.

Kind of reminds me of the three-headed knight scene in Monty Python.
While the heads debate amongst themselves, Robin sneaks off and the
heads don't even notice.  Here, someone comes along and asks the list a
question, and while answering the question, the discussion rapidly takes
off in its own direction as members debate some underlying fact that may
or may not be important to the original poster.  In fact by now I'm sure
most people have completely forgotten the original post entirely and I'm
can't even remember if we even answered his question.  But I am pretty
sure he's long gone from the lists.  Of course there is also a problem
of drive-by questions on this list, so we often never know if the poster
did get an answer.

Obviously there's nothing wrong with having this discussion in general.
 I think it's been quite interesting.