[zelphirkalt]

> I also remember the TA saying "why would you want that?"

Is a typical response of someone without the background and without the imagination. It may well be, that doing Java-only for too long robs one of both. An alternative response could have been: "What a fascinating idea! How would you apply that? / What would you do with that?"

I am happy for you, that you found the exceptions and that your picture of the computer programming world is not as incomplete and bleak as that of the TA back then.

[sfn42]

So your suggestion to the TA is to ask literally the exact same question but slightly different?

[jibal]

One question is encouraging, the other is discouraging. That matters a lot in an educational setting.

And they aren't the exact same question.

[horsawlarway]

As someone who spent a fair chunk of time as a TA for comp-sci classes...

If you're in my room asking me how to change the keyword for "if"...

"why would you want to do that?" is entirely the appropriate answer.

---

Not because the concept of modifying the language itself is necessarily bad, but because the structure of the relationship here isn't neutral. The students in the class are here asking me questions that almost always relate to homework, exams, projects, or tasks.

From experience - You usually see this type of question when the student is actually trying to accomplish some other goal, and can't figure out how to do it.

So "Why would you want to do that?" is not dismissive... it's goal seeking.

help me understand the goal you have in the context of the current work that you are seeking to accomplish by modifying the "if" keyword. Until I understand what you're working towards, it's hard for me to appropriately scope my answer.

Further... I'm not really paid to spitball conceptual language design with you (fun though it may be!). I'm here because a large chunk of the students in the class are genuinely struggling and need basic assistance understanding the existing class concepts.