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You know, I hate to say it, but you, and your parent commenters have basically said quite a bit without actually answering the question. Anyone coming here won

You know, I hate to say it, but you, and your parent commenters have basically said quite a bit without actually answering the question. Anyone coming here wondering which one to learn is going to be left with the same question, only slightly more confused.

natrius 14y ago
Gecko answered the question explicitly: learn Python 2.
- jasonlotito 14y ago
  He suggested Python 3 as well.
thebigshane 14y ago
I purposefully avoided any attempt to answer the question directly. How would one know what to recommend while knowing nothing about `jcurbo`s intentions/designs/requirements? The stackoverflow and wikipedia communities sometimes get flack about maintaining strict objectivity, and I know the HN community is allowed to be different, but surely you agree that there is no right answer to `jcurbo`s question. And if there is no right answer, surely offering information from a trusted source can be just as helpful (if not moreso). tl;dr: Python 3.
- jasonlotito 14y ago
  > How would one know what to recommend while knowing nothing about `jcurbo`s intentions/designs/requirements? For someone learning Python? Just give them your best suggestion. Look, it's fairly easy. Learn Python 3. There are differences, and you might run into issues later on, but once you get to that point, you'll know enough to do something about it. See, when someone asks whether to learn Python 2 or Python 3, that's what they are asking for. If they are learning for specific reasons (for a job, lets say), then instead of trying to answer, you ask follow up questions. But for learning a language, they are seeking advice from experienced people. So, when those same experienced people, who already know Python 2 and/or Python 3 tell them to learn Python 2 and/or Python 3, they are being told: we don't know. And how is someone inexperienced supposed to know which one to learn when experienced people don't know? Basically, if you can't answer the question because you feel you lack information, ask. Otherwise, answering the question "Learn Python 2 or 3?" with the answer "Learn Python 2 or 3." isn't helpful.

natrius 14y ago

Gecko answered the question explicitly: learn Python 2.

jasonlotito 14y ago
He suggested Python 3 as well.

thebigshane 14y ago

I purposefully avoided any attempt to answer the question directly. How would one know what to recommend while knowing nothing about `jcurbo`s intentions/designs/requirements? The stackoverflow and wikipedia communities sometimes get flack about maintaining strict objectivity, and I know the HN community is allowed to be different, but surely you agree that there is no right answer to `jcurbo`s question. And if there is no right answer, surely offering information from a trusted source can be just as helpful (if not moreso). tl;dr: Python 3.

jasonlotito 14y ago
> How would one know what to recommend while knowing nothing about `jcurbo`s intentions/designs/requirements? For someone learning Python? Just give them your best suggestion. Look, it's fairly easy. Learn Python 3. There are differences, and you might run into issues later on, but once you get to that point, you'll know enough to do something about it. See, when someone asks whether to learn Python 2 or Python 3, that's what they are asking for. If they are learning for specific reasons (for a job, lets say), then instead of trying to answer, you ask follow up questions. But for learning a language, they are seeking advice from experienced people. So, when those same experienced people, who already know Python 2 and/or Python 3 tell them to learn Python 2 and/or Python 3, they are being told: we don't know. And how is someone inexperienced supposed to know which one to learn when experienced people don't know? Basically, if you can't answer the question because you feel you lack information, ask. Otherwise, answering the question "Learn Python 2 or 3?" with the answer "Learn Python 2 or 3." isn't helpful.