Path: csiph.com!usenet.pasdenom.info!news.albasani.net!newsfeed.freenet.ag!news2.euro.net!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed6.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail
Return-Path: <python-python-list@m.gmane.org>
X-Original-To: python-list@python.org
Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org
X-Spam-Status: OK 0.003
X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.99; '*S*': 0.00; 'jeff': 0.05; 'subject:Python': 0.05; 'important,': 0.07; 'problem?': 0.07; 'abstraction': 0.09; 'terry': 0.09; 'jan': 0.11; 'url:blog': 0.11; 'received:80.91': 0.16; 'received:80.91.229': 0.16; 'received:gmane.org': 0.16; 'received:list': 0.16; 'received:verizon.net': 0.16; 'reedy': 0.16; 'url:21': 0.16; 'mathematical': 0.17; 'wrote:': 0.19; 'least': 0.20; 'written': 0.21; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.22; 'header:User-Agent:1': 0.26; "d'aprano": 0.28; 'steven': 0.28; 'url:2008': 0.28; 'header:X -Complaints-To:1': 0.29; 'skip:u 20': 0.32; 'impression': 0.32; 'problem': 0.33; 'clear': 0.34; 'am,': 0.34; 'to:addr:python- list': 0.35; 'useful': 0.35; 'test': 0.35; 'does': 0.36; 'received:org': 0.36; 'architecture': 0.37; 'subject:: ': 0.37; 'anything': 0.38; 'some': 0.39; 'url:12': 0.39; 'url:2004': 0.39; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'header:Received:5': 0.40; 'received:net': 0.60; 'between': 0.61; 'solve': 0.62; 'times': 0.62; 'url:10': 0.65; 'url:2005': 0.84; 'url:items': 0.84
X-Injected-Via-Gmane: http://gmane.org/
To: python-list@python.org
From: Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu>
Subject: Re: Python is readable
Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2012 00:03:41 -0400
References: <4f612b19$0$1379$4fafbaef@reader2.news.tin.it> <e43dbdbf-2e6b-420a-b66a-7f5f756a5cb5@pg2g2000pbb.googlegroups.com> <mailman.896.1332440814.3037.python-list@python.org> <m1nfi1.9tn@spenarnc.xs4all.nl> <mailman.1136.1333054997.3037.python-list@python.org> <4f750f9f$0$29981$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <mailman.1142.1333074402.3037.python-list@python.org> <4f752a3a$0$29981$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <mailman.1143.1333082309.3037.python-list@python.org> <4f758f43$0$29981$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Gmane-NNTP-Posting-Host: pool-74-109-121-73.phlapa.fios.verizon.net
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:8.0) Gecko/20111105 Thunderbird/8.0
In-Reply-To: <4f758f43$0$29981$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com>
X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.12
Precedence: list
List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language <python-list.python.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://mail.python.org/mailman/options/python-list>, <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list>
List-Post: <mailto:python-list@python.org>
List-Help: <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list>, <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=subscribe>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.python
Message-ID: <mailman.1166.1333166645.3037.python-list@python.org>
Lines: 25
NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6
X-Trace: 1333166645 news.xs4all.nl 6897 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:41485
X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl
Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:22406

On 3/30/2012 6:47 AM, Steven D'Aprano wrote:

> Spolsky has written at least three times about Architecture Astronauts,
> and made it abundantly clear that the problem with them is that they
> don't solve problems, they invent overarching abstractions that don't do
> anything useful or important, and hype them everywhere.
>
> http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000018.html
> http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2005/10/21.html
> http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/05/01.html
>
> Jeff Attwood provides a simple test for the difference between a useful
> abstraction and an Architecture Astronaut hyper-abstraction:
>
>      Does it solve a useful problem?
>
> http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2004/12/it-came-from-planet-architecture.html

My strong impression is that theoretical abstract mathematicians also 
prefer that hi-level abstractions solve some useful-to-mathematicians 
mathematical problem.

-- 
Terry Jan Reedy