[Edu-sig] re: Types and true division (was Re: strange output)

[Arthur]

Kirby writes -

>I personally don't think the primary reason for changing >the behavior of /
was that it confused newbies.

Maybe you are correct.  And there certainly are good arguments for the
change that are not related to that fact that it was not what folks who
hadn't gotten to chapter 3 of the tutorial were expecting.

But I've gone this far, might as well finish my thought.

The most activist advocates of the change seemed to have been folk like
Bruce Sherwood who was questioning Python's, let's say, saleability for
purposes like his physics class and Randy Pausch, because the behavior did
not play nice with his toy.  I am not making up the fact that Guido
mentioned Sherwood's classroom experience prominently and at key points
during the debate. And it is clear that Pausch saw it as a *big* issue and
that Guido quite well heard his position.

But I was and remain confused.  Confused why Guido needed documentary
evidence that non-programmers would be surprised by 1/2 = 0.  Common sense.
Not sure how much of Sherwood's and Pausch's grant money went done the tubes
making that discovery.

But there is reality reality and there is emotional reality.

So I won't claim to be in touch with reality reality.  My own emotional
reality (now the guy is talking about *emotions*) is that Guido has, when it
comes to issues of Python and education, been more in tune to the needs and
analysis of folks who don't take Python very seriously (like them) rather
than folks who do (like me).

Certainly I had nor have no reason to believe that Guido, in the weighing of
pros and cons,  took at all seriously the possiblity that the div operator
change might be *harmful* to folks looking to Python as an introduction to
programming. Despite the fact that someone who had been through the
experience was trying to say he thought it would - me.  I can tell you that
Bruce Sherwood *still*  understands little about Python.  And Randy Pausch's
true interest in Python and education is well indicated, in my mind, but the
level of his participation on this list.

And with that, hopefully I will find myself able to go silent on the issue
of "/".

Copy of course being a whole other story.

Art