[Python-Dev] Proposal to revert r54204 (splitext change)

[Brett Cannon]

On 3/15/07, "Martin v. Löwis" <martin at v.loewis.de> wrote:
> > This particular change looks like gratuitous breakage, no matter how
> > sound the reasons for it, and putting it in to 2.6 with 3.0 "just around
> > the corner" (though not for production purposes) is guaranteed to upset
> > some people and cause adverse reaction.
> >
> > This is not "prevarication", it's a serious discussion about how such
> > issues should be managed.  The current glaring lack is of a sound
> > decision-making process. Such breakage-inducing change should be
> > reserved for major versions (as was the fix to the socket addressing wart).
>
> I just like to point out that I disagree with this classification. The
> change is not gratuitous breakage (it's neither gratuitous, nor is it
> breakage), nor is it breakage-inducing.
>

First off, I should say I totally agree with Martin's thinking in this
whole matter.  If I had been in his situation there is a good chance I
would have done what he did based on prior history of when
underspecified stuff has what could considered poor behaviour.

But the key point I want to get across is people should not being
getting mad at Martin.  The people who are getting all bent out of
shape over this should be upset at python-dev as a whole for not
having a clear policy on this sort of thing.  Martin just happened to
be the guy who made a change that sparked this and he is explaining
his thinking behind it (which also happens to mirror my thinking on
this whole situation).  It could have easily been someone else.  But
since Martin does so much work clearing out patches (and we all owe
Martin and everyone else who consistently tries to close bugs and
patches a HUGE thank you).  I am sorry it happened to be Martin, but I
also think he has done a great job keeping his composure in this as I
would have lost my top at by now had I not been ignoring this thread.

And I would hope that people are not explicitly mad at Martin (I
suspect people aren't).  But from my viewpoint people are getting the
point of yelling and that is not going to get us anywhere.

Bottom line, let's work together as a group to come up with a policy
in a civil, positive manner (in a new thread!) and let the result of
that decision guide what is done with this fix.  Yelling at poor
Martin about one patch when we could be spending this effort on trying
to discuss what kind of policy we want is not getting us anywhere.

-Brett