On Tue, 24 May 2016 10:44:56 -0700, Ned Batchelder wrote: > On Tuesday, May 24, 2016 at 12:44:04 PM UTC-4, Steven D'Aprano wrote: >> On Tue, 24 May 2016 12:19 pm, Ned Batchelder wrote: >> >> > Ugh, can we please stop with the "well, actually" pedantic tangents? >> >> With respect, no. >> >> This is a forum with a very tolerant approach to off-topic and only- >> slightly-on-topic discussions. If you want a forum that follows strict rules >> for what's allowed and what's not, you're in the wrong place. > > I'm not looking for strict rules. The discussions can be good. > >> There are >> plenty of such forums available: Stackoverflow, /r/python, #python, >> Python-Dev, etc, all with their own idiosyncrasies. This is ours: we have a >> bunch of people here who enjoy extended discussions on computing matters >> which are sometimes only tangentially related to Python. > > Can we compromise? Try to cast these discussions in a "yes" form rather > than a "no" form? This very thread got a bit contentious, primarily because > it seemed like people weren't trying to assume the best about the others in > the thread. Having a discussion about the details of floating point is > fine, but do we want to get into fights over it? Those can be avoided, > surely. > > Once the tone gets to picking apart any detail, no matter how trivial, it's > just turned into a contest to see who can be more right. When Christopher > said "8-bit ASCII," he wasn't claiming that ASCII was defined as an 8-bit > character encoding. He was making a light-hearted comment about the use > of esoteric symbols. You can accept that comment on those terms, rather > than replying, "No, it's 7-bit." How many bits ASCII uses is completely > beside the point. You don't need to correct people on every tangential > fact. > > Yes, there are a bunch of people here who enjoy and participate in the > extended diversions. But they can also become points of contention, which > I hope no one wants. We've seen people vocally not enjoying them. And > beyond that, harder to gauge is how much they prevent people from entering > the conversation. > > All I'm asking for is tempering it a bit. I understand we don't want or > need strict rules. But can we stay positive and friendly? > > --Ned.
Although I agree with Steven's comments, I have to agree with what you said also. As an amateur programmer, I am constantly learning new things in this type of discussion and I doubt that I am alone. However, if/when the discussion falls into name calling and willy waving, it is time to end the thread. Just my 2ยข. -- <Wildman> GNU/Linux user #557453 "It's curtains for Windows around my house." -Cybe R. Wizard -- https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list