What should Python apps do when asked to show help?

[Rustom Mody]

On Saturday, April 30, 2016 at 8:06:46 AM UTC+5:30, Random832 wrote:
> 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?

I dont get whats so hard to get in this:
When we need pagers we know where to get them
When we dont, please dont thump them on us
I dont know that anyone has taken the "I-HATE-pagers' view so much as
"Let me get them when I want them"