Thanks for the thorough post-mortem. I'm learning stuff too here. (Yesterday, Brett pointed out to me that seeming '->' *inside* an argument list is quite confusing when you only expect it to mark the end of the parameter list.)

I somehow feel the need to explain what "python-dev" is. It's not "the Python core devs". It's "a mailing list discussing Python development" (i.e. developing the language, not using it). It doesn't reach all core devs, and many members are not core devs, they just like to talk about Python's design and implementation and how to evolve it. It's quite flawed, but it's still the best forum we have for PEPs that touch the language design.