The mail.python.org link I posted previously is broken. Here's an
updated link to the relevant c.l.p. thread:
http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/2005-February/310020.html

From my point of view, I still think it's an excellent idea and would be
happy to review a patch, but I'm unlikely to get around to implementing
it myself.

Also keep in mind that we now have the option of doing this only for the
new io module in Python 3.0 - it may be easier to do that and implement
something in pure Python rather than having to deal with the 2.x file
implementation.

(P.S. I found the double negative in Raymond's original comment a little
tricky to parse even as a native English speaker. I would also take
Skip's comment as merely discouraging adding a completely new method
rather than the original idea)