Ben Finney ben at benfinney.id.au
Thu May 8 04:34:21 EDT 2014

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Ned Batchelder <ned at nedbatchelder.com> writes:

> I thought we were concerned with beginners incorrectly thinking Python
> worked like C, but this [pseudocode] is nothing like C.

I'm not concerned about where these misconceptions come from, whether C
or any other language.

The concern is that the term “variable”'s existing baggage in the
programming community encourages *false inferences* that a beginner
doesn't even realise they're drawing. By discouraging use of that term
and replacing it with “name binding” or “reference”, a more accurate
model is implied, to the extent that its existing baggage encourages
significantly fewer false inferences.

(good sigmonster, have a cookie)

-- 
 \      “We suffer primarily not from our vices or our weaknesses, but |
  `\    from our illusions.” —Daniel J. Boorstin, historian, 1914–2004 |
_o__)                                                                  |
Ben Finney

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