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Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2014 09:36:43 +1100
Subject: Re: converting strings to hex
From: Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com>
Cc: "python-list@python.org" <python-list@python.org>
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On Sat, Apr 5, 2014 at 8:33 AM, Mark H Harris <harrismh777@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 4/4/14 1:16 AM, James Harris wrote:
>>
>> YMMV but I thought the OP had done a good job before asking for help and
>> then asked about only a tiny bit of it. Some just post a question!
>
>
>    Indeed they do. Its a little like negotiating with terrorists. As soon as
> you negotiate with the first one, you then must negotiate with all of them.
> Bad plan.

What, you treat student programmers like terrorists?!? Ouch.

>    The OP was soooo close, that to give him the help is immoral for two
> reasons: 1) it deprives him of the satisfaction of accomplishing the
> solution to the puzzle himself, and 2) it deprives the instructor (whoever
> she is) of the teachable moment. There is something she is trying to get
> Dave to learn, and she really *does* want him to go through the entire
> exercise on his own.

I strongly disagree. If someone is asking for a hint, it's because
s/he is trying to learn. I'm always willing to help someone learn,
regardless of whether they're going through a course or currently
employed or whatever. Sometimes a small hint can be obtained from the
interpreter itself; but often, it takes a measure of experience to
grok (one of the differences between the expert and the inexperienced
is how quickly a traceback can be read - an expert can often go
straight to the line with the problem); a hint from another Python
programmer can be immensely helpful, as it can include advice as well
as a hard "this works, that doesn't".

ChrisA