Language change and code breaks

[Arthur Siegel]

>I still have the same end goal, but I believe there must be a way to
>obtain it without too much disturbance.  Case-sensitivity, for
>example, may be a tool feature rather than a language feature, or it
>may be a user option or a language-level choice.  (Not that I've
>figured out exactly how to do this, but TeachScheme makes this an
>option.)  Note that case-sensitivity is also controversial: the Alice
>folks found it a problem, but the VPython folks have not confirmed
>this (while they did confirm the integer division trap).

But it should be noted, in fairness, that neither the Alice or 
VPython anecdotals were made in the context of 
teaching programming.

VPython's (of which I happen to be a fan) findings were in the 
context of a class in physics.

I don't recall hearing  either issue raised by anyone using 
Python to teach or to learn programming concepts. 

There have been a number of reports from learning novices - 
including my own - that the issues are, in context, negligible.

Difficult for someone in my position to ignore the hand in
front of my face.

Guido's more recent post at least gives some insight into his
deeper thinking.  

Seems to me many of us would agree that we prefer 
a language with a minimum of affection.

Many of us feel, I believe, that case insensitivity is such
an affection.  Guido seems to be saying that he views it
otherwise - that it is case sensitivity that is an affect.

Which to me is the beginning of a real discussion.

Not meaning to be nasty at all, but these issues have 
been on the table for quite some time - and I do think
it a tactical error to try to trump deeper discussion 
by pointing to selective anecdotal reports  from
near random sources, taken out of any meaningful 
context,  that happen to support a predilection.

Sorry to harp.

ART