[Python-ideas] Objectively Quantifying Readability

[Dan Sommers]

On Wed, 02 May 2018 05:08:41 +1000, Steven D'Aprano wrote:

> The difference was that when Windows users used the mouse, even though
> they were *objectively* faster to complete the task compared to using
> the arrow keys, subjectively they swore that they were slower, and
> were *very confident* about their subjective experience.

Another driving analogy:  when I get stuck at a stoplight, sometimes I
take advantage of turn on red or a protected turn, even though I know
that it's going to take longer to get where I'm going.  But I feel
better because I'm not just sitting there at the stoplight.  Call it
cognitive dissonance, I guess.

Some of my coworkers claim that using vi is objectively faster or
requires fewer keystrokes than using emacs.  I counter that I've been
using emacs since before they were born, and that I now do so with the
reptilian part of my brain, which means that I can keep thinking about
the problem at hand rather than about editing the source code.

Who remembers the One True Brace Style holy wars?  If we agreed on
anything, it was to conform to existing code rather than to write new
code in a different style.  Reading a mixture of styles was harder, no
matter which particular style you thought was better or why you thought
it was better.

> Athletes are not great judges of what training works for themselves.

Wax on, wax off?  ;-)

Dan