>From http://dirtsimple.org/2004/12/python-is-not-java.html
"In Java, you have to use getters and setters because using public fields gives you no opportunity to go back and change your mind later to using getters and setters. So in Java, you might as well get the chore out of the way up front. In Python, this is silly, because you can start with a normal attribute and change your mind at any time, without affecting any clients of the class. So, don't write getters and setters." I'd like to be able to s/Python/Perl 6/ above, but after many discussions on this topic, I'm still not sure if I can. -John
