Noob in Python. Problem with fairly simple test case

[Rick Johnson]

On Friday, July 17, 2015 at 1:38:52 AM UTC-5, Steven D'Aprano wrote:
> 75% or 90% is not a "vast majority". Vast majority implies more than 99%.
> 
> But regardless of the precise meaning of "vast", if you want to dismiss one
> in four people (25%) or one in ten (10%) as inconsequential, then you've
> got some serious issues.

My estimate was *CONSERVATIVE* Steven. Read my words:
"EDUCATED GUESS". Unlike you, I'm not going to falsify the
numbers just to win an argument. I feel very strongly about
the 75%, even though i know the percentage is much higher.

> You can't "risk" the upgrade? What precisely are you afraid of?

Simple. I don't want to waste even a second of time
debugging old code that has been bug free for years. I would
rather spend that time writing new code. Productivity is
important to "some" of us Steven!

And don't drag out that old cliche about how running 2to3 is
the path to lands of "milk and honey". I call BS! With the
nonrestrictive typing of Python a bug can be hidden from even
the best testing methodology. Why would i risk exception hell
just to please you? I don't make my decisions based on your,
or the BDFL's, opinions of what is best for me. Heck, i
don't make my decisions based on what "might" be good for
the Python community. MY CODE! My RULES! GOT IT?

> That's nonsense. Spinning tires implies no forward motion.
> Python 3 usage is *certainly* moving forward: we've gone
> from the situation in 2008 of nobody using it, to the
> current situation where there's lots of activity around
> it:

How much of that is purely hype? Remember the explosion of
Python usage *BEFORE* Python3? However, there
has been a steady decline of Python usage since.

> students learning on Python 3, 

You act as if *EVERY* student that ever uses Python will
continue using Python forever, and *ONLY* Python! When in
fact, Python is mostly a stepping stone for CS-101 students
on their path to real languages like C, Java, DHTML, and the
APIs of the various mobile platforms. *THIS* is where code is
written to solve real life problems. *THIS* is where code
directly interacts with the *VAST MAJORITY* (yeah i said it!)
of humans on this planet to get stuff done! But where's Python? 

Oh, i know, it's stuck on my desktop. @_@

PYTHON IS A ONE TRICK PONY!

> My guess is, the rate of Python 3 adoption is going to hit
> the tipping point in 2 or 3 years, after which time it
> will be *very* rapid.

THE INTERNET WILL REMEMBER YOUR PREDICTION!

A lot can happen in 2-3 years that may render Python
obsolete (and your blabbing about 2020, really?).  My
prediction is that Python will never recover from this
backward compatibility issue. And sadly, Python2 had been
gaining stong momentum before Python3 arrived.

The code break was the first blow, and the evolving
technologies will be the final blow. Desktops computers are
becoming obsolete, and mobile platforms are the future. This
train has long since departed the station.