I am using Python version 2.3.4, pydoc version 1.86.8.1 
on WinXP SP2.

pydoc's visiblename() method indicates "Private names 
are hidden, but special names are displayed". However, 
visiblename's private name qualifier seems to be 
(name.startswith('_')) while Python's private name 
qualifier is something more along the lines of 
((name.startswith('__') and ((name[-1] != '_') or ((name[-1] 
== '_') and (name[-2] != '_')))).

Having said that, it would be useful if a command line 
switch enabled documentation for private names. This 
would be helpful in a development environment...

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An amendment is need for this enhancement request...

The focus at the time of submitting the request was that of 
classes and their private data. It seems the comment in the 
code and the code itself may have been written with the focus 
of modules and the rule that prohibits importing names that 
begin with '_' when an 'import *' is used for a module.

This may open another can of worms altogether. To 
distinguish the 'private' names of modules and classes 
visiblenames() would have to employ different logic for each. 
Also, one would wonder if the elements of an __all__ list 
would have to be considered the non-private names of a 
module or package... From this point, a discussion of what is 
considered ‘private’ could become quite lengthy and also 
subjective.

Although discussion regarding this level of complexity may be 
relevant at some point, the intent of the enhancement request 
was primarily to allow 'private' doc strings to be visible if 
explicitly requested.

In the time since 2.3, pydoc.visiblename() has been updated to use the correct definition of visibility.

A "developer" mode that exposes internal details doesn't make sense. When you're developing something and want to see internal details, *look at the code*.