Clarity vs. code reuse/generality

[Aahz]

In article <006e795f$0$9711$c3e8da3 at news.astraweb.com>,
Steven D'Aprano  <steve at REMOVE-THIS-cybersource.com.au> wrote:
>On Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:32:10 +0200, Jean-Michel Pichavant wrote:
>> kj wrote:
>>>
>>>     sense = cmp(func(hi), func(lo))
>>>     assert sense != 0, "func is not strictly monotonic in [lo, hi]"
>>
>> As already said before, unlike other languages, sense in english does
>> **not** mean direction. You should rewrite this part using a better
>> name. Wrong informations are far worse than no information at all.
>
>Absolutely.
>
>From Webster's Dictionary:
>
>      8. (Geom.) One of two opposite directions in which a line,
>      surface, or volume, may be supposed to be described by the
>      motion of a point, line, or surface.
>      [1913 Webster]
>
>
>And from WordNet:
>
>     2: the meaning of a word or expression; the way in which a word
>        or expression or situation can be interpreted
>
>Both meanings are relevant to the way KJ is using the word. Please take 
>your own advice and stop giving wrong information. As a native English 
>speaker, I had no difficulty understanding the meaning of "sense" in the 
>sense intended by KJ.

As another native English speaker, I agree with Jean-Michel; this is the
first time I've seen "sense" used to mean direction.
-- 
Aahz (aahz at pythoncraft.com)           <*>         http://www.pythoncraft.com/

"as long as we like the same operating system, things are cool." --piranha