Who are the "spacists"?

[Mikhail V]

On 18 March 2017 at 03:09, Joel Goldstick <joel.goldstick at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Fri, Mar 17, 2017 at 8:52 PM, Mikhail V <mikhailwas at gmail.com> wrote:
>> So Python supports both spaces and tabs for indentation.
>>
>> I just wonder, why not forbid spaces in the beginning of lines?
>> How would one come to the idea to use spaces for indentation at all?
>>
>> Space is not even a control/format character, but a word separator.
>> And when editors will be proportional font based, indenting with
>> spaces will not make *any* sense so they are just annoyance.
>> Neither makes it sense in general case of text editing.
>> I think it would be a salvation to forbid spaces for indentation,
>> did such attemps take place?
>
> This is not a useful conversation.  It has been had over and over in
> the past.  Some people like tabs, some like spaces.  In python you can
> use either, but you must stick to one or the other
>

Not to judge, but usually such opinions come from determined
spasists. And "stick to one or the other" is exactly what would make
life easier, but in literal sense of global preference.

On 18 March 2017 at 05:02, Ben Finney <ben+python at benfinney.id.au> wrote:
> Mikhail V <mikhailwas at gmail.com> writes:
>
>> I just wonder, why not forbid spaces in the beginning of lines?
>
> Because that would make countless lines of existing Python code illegal.

Yes, yes. And it is of course so hard to clean up spaces in existing code.