> You changed "NNTP_CLASS = nntplib.NNTP_SSL", which could potentially fail, to "NNTP_CLASS = getattr(nntplib, 'NNTP_SSL', None)", which cannot fail.  Since that was the only thing that previously could fail, the change leaves nothing that can fail, so the test is not a test.

This statement is not a part of a test. It runs at module import time. As you said in msg194907 the failing here will prohibit the running of all tests (even not SSL related).

> I suggested that you either not add the third param, a default,

getattr(nntplib, 'NNTP_SSL') is same as nntplib.NNTP_SSL. And it will break all tests.

> or that you remove the null test completely.

The purpose of this issue is stopping silence skipping tests. If some tests skipped for some reasons it should be reported.