What should Python apps do when asked to show help?

[Random832]

On Fri, Apr 29, 2016, at 22:27, Rustom Mody wrote:
> On Saturday, April 30, 2016 at 7:47:11 AM UTC+5:30, Random832 wrote:
> > On Fri, Apr 29, 2016, at 22:09, Ethan Furman wrote:
> > > So I have to cripple my shell to get pydoc help to work nicely?  Neat! 
> > > Actually, not so much.  :(
> > 
> > If you don't want a pager with pydoc, when exactly do you want it?
> 
> - I start a python interpreter
> - ... Am pottering around for a while
> - ... Need help on something... 
>       [So with Steven's solution of PAGER=cat Ive to restart python!!
>       Leaving that aside...]
> - ... help can do one of two valid things [remember I am on a modern
> windowing 
>       system] 
>       -- start help inline, inband (cat)
>       -- start help out of band (browser, yelp, etc ie some other app)
>    
> Instead it does some ½-assed fall-between-the-stools of both

That doesn't answer the question of why, if you (Well, Ethan, but you're
taking the same position here) hate pagers so much, why you can't just
set PAGER=cat in your profile once, now, and never see one again. How
does this "cripple your shell"; if you hate pagers so much why do you
want man or git to use one any more than pydoc?