[Python-ideas] Making colons optional?

[Riobard Zhan]

On 6-Feb-09, at 8:11 PM, Steven D'Aprano wrote:


> Colons are not the only choice, but they are the choice made nearly  
> twenty years ago. Colons are the status quo. We don't have to  
> justify the choice, you have to justify the change.
>
> All we have to do is nothing, and nothing will change. You have to  
> convince others, and either change the interpreter or convince  
> somebody else to change the interpreter, and convince the Python-dev  
> team and Guido to accept that change. Given the opposition on this  
> list, do you think that is likely?


"Earth-center theory is not the only choice, but they are the choice  
made nearly two thousand years ago. Earth-center theory is the status  
quo. We don't have to justify the choice, you have to justify the  
change.

All we have to do is nothing, and nothing will change. You have to  
convince others, and convince the church leaders and Pope to accept  
that. Given the opposition in this country, do you think that is  
likely?"



Sorry, the above is not really a proper analogy, but I failed to find  
a better way to make it obvious how I felt when reading your words.  
Don't take it wrong. I fully agree with your words. They are very true  
and convincing. I know it is nearly impossible even before I posted  
the original proposal. It is very difficult to justify a change for  
such a trivial issue. People will say, "OK, I'm perfectly fine with  
colons. Why bother?" And I cannot come up with anything more  
compelling than it will make the language more consistent and elegant.  
Nevertheless, it can be discussed; I will not be prosecuted for  
bringing it up, right? :P