how to clear up a List in python?

Antoon Pardon apardon at forel.vub.ac.be
Mon May 29 06:08:02 EDT 2006


Op 2006-05-26, Steve Holden schreef <steve at holdenweb.com>:
> vbgunz wrote:
>>>I guess Fredrik's message was more along the lines of ``don't try to
>>>"help" others after a week or two toying with the language because you
>>>might be offering disservice, despite your good intentions; leave this
>>>to more experienced users``. The words might have been a bit harsher
>>>but that's just his style; you'll get used to it if you hang around
>>>here often.
>> 
>> 
>> I much rather stand corrected than to silently remain ignorant. I take
>> revision of my solution for all it's worth but to be belittled without
>> correction is arrogant and unnecessary. I've been working with Python
>> for several months now and I feel I know plenty *but* I am still
>> learning.
>> 
>> I personally never had to clear a list. I never thought of Roberts
>> answer and my reasoning is in Roberts message. In the end I stood
>> correct because Robert was nice enough to answer two birds with one
>> stone. Fredrik on the other hand had nothing positive to add and his
>> message seemed gestapo.
>> 
>> Where I come from and how I grew up is quite simple. A wrong answer is
>> better than no answer and a worthless remark is worth garbage. Why?
>> Because no right answer is gospel and no answer no matter how dumb is
>> cause for discourtesy. I tried and thats the bottom line.
>> 
> Frankly I can't agree that a wrong answer is better than no answer, 
> despite my frequent strategy of opining that something is impossible 
> just so the cleverer denizens of c.l.py will prove me wrong. A wrong 
> answer requires correction by people who know the "right" answer, so you 
> end up consuming group bandwidth and mindshare unnecessarily.
>
> I am assuming the part of  Fredrik's post that "seemed gestapo" to you 
> is """if you don't know how to do things, you don't need to post."""

But if we all wait until we are perfectly sure that the answer we
will provide is correct, then no-one will need to answer. I
have even seen Fredrik post an answer that IMO was at least outdated.

> Please read this carefully, as Fredrik's use of language is precise: he 
> doesn't say you *shouldn't* post, he says you don't *need to*. This is 
> good advice, because posting a lame solution too quickly, while 
> reflecting an earnest and praiseworthy desire to help, can often lead to 
> trouble with some of the less patient members of our community.

Maybe those less patient members should take the same advise: They
don't need to react.

-- 
Antoon Pardon



More information about the Python-list mailing list