> Now there are objections.
> 
> Other than some mild frustration at having invested a fair amount of 
> time in producing my first python patch, I am also in the middle of 
> editing a textbook that will come out this fall.

Don't be frustrated. This is a regular thing to happen; sometimes,
opposition won't form until the code is committed and released in
an alpha release.

> So it would be nice for me to have 
> some clarity on the direction this will go.

We should wait a few more days for people to speak up.

Myself, I'm -0 on the patch. The '<' syntax is awkward.