Thomas Davie wrote: [they = novices]
True but they're bound to get it wrong at least once (I know I did, and damn were the errors confusing).
Of course they will. They will get a lot of other things wrong at least once, too. Syntax is syntax. So long as it's not preposterously complex, it's not nearly the hardest part of the language to learn. And the current system is, even if you disagree, consistent.
Also, how do you propose that -- is put on a slide and differentiated from --?
"Make sure you add a space after the two dashes."
The fact that -- is a reserved word while {- is not just highlights farther the inconsistency in the language.
Your position implies one of the following: 1) You think that "{{" ought to be a legal operator. 2) You think that "-" ought not to be a legal operator. 3) You think that custom operators are a bad idea. (Hey, Bjarne Stroustrup agrees with you!) Which is it? Personally, I disagree with all three, but then again, I don't see any inconsistency here.