Path: csiph.com!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!not-for-mail From: Ben Finney Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Subject: Meaning and purpose of the Subject field (was: Ignore error with non-zero exit status) Date: Tue, 22 Dec 2015 07:58:57 +1100 Lines: 30 Message-ID: References: <3883651.fOIMIIEhYO@PointedEars.de> <2062582.Z8LLNUJk5W@PointedEars.de> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Trace: news.uni-berlin.de pEA/6ChkHT/pwYPirMZkKwvCZakeJ0KerZFwRmUohLNQ== Cancel-Lock: sha1:cVn2f38xaiZg+lh1mWDd3FA/ppE= Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: OK 0.085 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.83; '*S*': 0.00; 'received:80.91': 0.09; 'received:80.91.229': 0.09; 'received:gmane.org': 0.09; 'received:list': 0.09; 'subject:error': 0.11; 'accordingly.': 0.13; 'discuss.': 0.16; 'received:80.91.229.3': 0.16; 'received:io': 0.16; 'received:plane.gmane.org': 0.16; 'received:psf.io': 0.16; 'subject:non': 0.16; 'usenet': 0.16; 'changes': 0.20; 'fix': 0.21; 'explicit': 0.22; 'changes,': 0.23; 'discussion': 0.24; 'header': 0.24; 'header:User-Agent:1': 0.26; 'header:X-Complaints-To:1': 0.26; 'correct': 0.28; 'error.': 0.31; 'regardless': 0.31; 'that,': 0.34; "isn't": 0.35; 'but': 0.36; 'list,': 0.36; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.36; 'subject:: ': 0.37; 'being': 0.37; 'agree': 0.37; 'received:org': 0.37; 'one,': 0.37; 'mailing': 0.38; 'subject:the': 0.39; 'subject:-': 0.39; 'rather': 0.39; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.40; 'subject:with': 0.40; 'field': 0.60; 'secure': 0.60; 'your': 0.60; 'hope': 0.61; 'overload': 0.66; "they're": 0.66; 'subject': 0.70; '8bit%:21': 0.70; 'skip:\xe2 10': 0.70; 'feeling': 0.72; '_o__)': 0.84; 'mencken': 0.84; 'received:125': 0.84; 'subject:status': 0.84; '\xe2\x80\x94henry': 0.84; 'relating': 0.93 X-Injected-Via-Gmane: http://gmane.org/ X-Gmane-NNTP-Posting-Host: jigong.madmonks.org X-Public-Key-ID: 0xAC128405 X-Public-Key-Fingerprint: 517C F14B B2F3 98B0 CB35 4855 B8B2 4C06 AC12 8405 X-Public-Key-URL: http://www.benfinney.id.au/contact/bfinney-pubkey.asc X-Post-From: Ben Finney User-Agent: Gnus/5.13 (Gnus v5.13) Emacs/24.4 (gnu/linux) X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.20+ Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:100696 Ian Kelly writes: > Better yet, please don't change the Subject header for trivial reasons > in the first place. When the subject of the ongoing discussion changes, it's normal to change the Subject field accordingly. I agree with your admonition against trivial alterations to that field; I hope you agree with me that it is not trivial, but rather is normal and helpful, to update the Subject field to track significant changes in the subject of the discussion. > This isn't just a Usenet group; it's also a mailing list, and many > MUAs rely on the Subject header for proper threading. If such MUAs do that, they're misinterpreting the Subject field. Other fields are available with the explicit meaning of relating messages to each other regardless of what they discuss. If the correct fields are being mangled, then the correct place to apply pressure is on those who can fix that error. Let's not overload the Subject field to make up the lack. -- \ “Self-respect: The secure feeling that no one, as yet, is | `\ suspicious.” —Henry L. Mencken | _o__) | Ben Finney