python adds an extra half space when reading from a string or list

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Tue, 02 Jul 2013 17:30:32 -0700, rurpy wrote:

>> Needless to say, I disagree with your position. There is no place for
>> baseless insults in this community; but when the behaviour of someone
>> in this community is harmful, then it is entirely appropriate to use
>> clear terms (e.g. “incompetent”, “inconsiderate”) to describe their
>> behaviour.
> 
> Those are anything but clear.  They are subjective and highly judgmental
> and frequently applied one-sidedly. (Not "rude" when an alpha poster
> here says it but "rude" when someone else does.)

That is a very good point. One of the reasons I do not use the Python IRC 
channel is that in my experience anyone disagreeing with the privileged 
few's *opinions* gets banned without either warning or explanation.

On the other hand, I've certainly learned a lot in my newbie days from 
being told off quite harshly by some of the Python community alphas, like 
the Effbot Fredrik Lundh, and Alex Martelli. It hurts to be told you're 
an idiot by one of the alphas, but sometimes you need to be told you're 
an idiot[1]. Even if you're not, realising that others think you are 
builds character[2].

The difference is that, as a rule, the alphas don't get suckered into 
interminable flame wars that suck the life out of a community. Short, 
harsh, surgical strikes is one thing. Four years of trench warfare is 
another thing altogether.



[1] And for the record, I can think of two specific cases, although I may 
have forgotten others. In one case I think time has proven that I was 
right in my opinion, or at least the opinion of the Python devs shifted 
towards my viewpoint (introduction of tuple methods). In the other I have 
come to accept that Alex Martelli was right, although I still think that 
*failing an assignment* for a single unnecessary global declaration is 
unfairly harsh.

[2] Sometimes it builds stronger, better character. Sometimes it builds 
weaker, broken character. It's all character.


-- 
Steven