[Python-ideas] Support WHATWG versions of legacy encodings

[Mark Lawrence]

On 01/02/18 21:34, Terry Reedy wrote:
> On 1/31/2018 6:15 PM, Chris Barker wrote:
> 
>> I still have no idea why there is such resistance to this [spelling 
>> corrected]
> 
> Every proposal should be resisted to the extent of requiring clarity, 
> consideration of alternatives, and sufficient justification.
> 
>> yes, it's a fairly small benefit over a package on PyPi, [spelling 
>> corrected]
> 
> So why move *this* code?  The clash with flake8 is an issue between the 
> package and flake8 and is irrelevant to adding it to the stdlib.  Every 
> feature on PyPi would be more convenient for at least a few people if 
> moved.  Why specifically this package, more than a couple hundred 
> others?  Our current position is that most anything on PyPI should stay 
> there.
> 
>> but there is also virtually no downside.
> 
> All changes, and especially feature additions, have a downside, as has 
> been explained by Steven D'Aprano more than once.  M.-A. Lemburg already 
> summarized his view of the specifics for this issue.  And see below.
> 
>> (I'm assuming the OP (or someone) will do all the actual work of 
>> coding and updating docs....)
> 
> At least one core developer has to *volunteer* to review, likely edit or 
> request edits, merge, and *take responsibility* for the consequences of 
> the PR.  At minimum, there is the opportunity cost of the core developer 
> not making some other improvement, which some might see as more valuable.
> 
>> Practicality Beats Purity -- and this is a practical solution.
> 
> It is an ugly hack, which also has practical problems.
> 
> Here is the full applicable quote from Tim's Zen:
> 
> Special cases aren't special enough to break the rules.
> Although practicality beats purity.
> 
> I take this to mean that normal special cases are not special enough but 
> some special special cases are.  The meta meaning is that decisions are 
> not mechanical and require tradeoffs, and that people will honestly 
> disagree in close cases.
> 

I now see this entire thread as Status Quo 1, Proposal -1, so can we 
please move on?

-- 
My fellow Pythonistas, ask not what our language can do for you, ask
what you can do for our language.

Mark Lawrence