[I18n-sig] Modified open() builtin (Re: Python Character Model)

[Tim Peters]

[Barry A. Warsaw]
> ...
> Requiring the encoding imposes too much burden on the newbie learning
> the language, IMHO.

Indeed it does, no matter how strongly an advocate may believe users
"should" be aware of i18n issues.

By the same token, you could get yourself into a world of trouble by coding

   x = float(y) + z

unless you're careful to first specify the hardware rounding mode, values
for the 5 IEEE-754 exception masks, and the HW precision control setting if
you're running on a Pentium (also HW range control if running on Itanium).
And, someday, Python will probably grow ways to specify all that stuff.  If,
at that time, I suggest everyone *must* specify them before doing any fp
arithmetic, I hope someone has the good taste to just shoot me <wink>.

BTW, Python should drop C's text mode, because it's feeble and ill-defined
across platforms.

just-thought-i'd-liven-it-up<wink>-ly y'rs  - tim