Cult-like behaviour [was Re: Kindness]

[Chris Angelico]

On Sun, Jul 15, 2018 at 5:19 AM, Tim Daneliuk <info at tundraware.com> wrote:
> On 07/14/2018 04:09 AM, Christian Gollwitzer wrote:
>> I agree with this observation and it feels quite strange to me. I regularly use three languages (C++, Python and Tcl), all three are under active development, and IMHO all of them have flaws, there are is always something which is elegantly solved in one system but needs more work in another.
>
>
> Dusting off some of my musings written years ago but at least tangentially
> related to all this:
>
>    https://www.tundraware.com/TechnicalNotes/How-To-Pick-A-Programming-Language/
>    https://www.tundraware.com/TechnicalNotes/Bullet/

No idea what this has to do with the features of different languages.
You basically say "blah blah blah nothing matters", which is not
entirely false, but far from true. (For example, you're right that
it's important to understand algorithms independently of a language,
but wrong that that means cross-platform code is irrelevant.)

> I am not particularly enamored of the feeping creaturism that that infested
> Python 3, but then again, I'm not required by law to use said feeping creatures...

You'd better avoid most of JavaScript, C++, and most other languages,
then. Every language feeps a little, and Python is definitely not as
bad as some.

> I wish GvR well.  He's served this community magnificently and deserves far
> better than he got, especially lately. := pedantry aside (and I am NOT a fan),
> great things come from individual minds, not committees and I think it is
> simply inarguable that GvR built a Very Great Thing.  So ... thanks ... and
> go enjoy your life, sir, you've more than earned it.

And here's the big thing. People are STILL complaining about the :=
operator, while paying lip service to "Guido's design sensibilities
are good". At some point, people have to simply accept or reject.
Either you trust Guido to decide what's best for the language, or you
think he's making mistakes. Either you believe that his idea of what's
good for the language is worth following, or you don't. Either you
continue to use Python, or you go and rewrite your code in another
language. Quit beefing about how Guido's a smart person but you still
hate what he's decided here. At very least, just cool off on it for a
year. No wonder he's wanting to retire.

ChrisA