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[Python-ideas] Make Difflib example callable as module __main__

Steven D'Aprano steve at pearwood.info
Thu Feb 23 13:31:21 CET 2012 
Rob Cliffe wrote:
> Can I put in a plea that postings to this list try to minimise the use 
> of acronyms and jargon that may not be universally intelligible?

"Universally intelligible" is an awfully big request. There are English 
speakers who don't know what you mean by either "postings" or "list", since 
both of those are themselves jargon. (My parents, for two.) To say nothing of 
children or non-English speakers who may not know what "acronym" means.


> This list is often read with interest by non-specialists such as myself.
> I have no idea for example what "VCS" means.

While I sympathise, this is a list aimed at programmers, and while 
non-specialists are welcome, they are not the primary audience.

I think you will be better off trying to learn programmer's jargon than asking 
programmers not to use common, if specialised, words in their technical 
conversations. You wouldn't expect (say) car enthusiasts to stop using the 
word "torque", or doctors not to use "dialysis", just because a non-specialist 
might wander by and be listening in.


-- 
Steven
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