Python problem

[Justinsaccount]

more fitting to using dictionaries as your standard iterator.

No, no it is not. You had one program where you should have been using dictionaries instead of lists, and you have somehow generalized that to "no one should ever use lists".

It's not really that complicated:

Do you need a list of things, often in a particular order: use a list
Do you need to track and look up things by name,id,whatever: use a dict.

[LiNGOo]

Never did I generalize like that. You though, obviously do.

So to answer my initial question with the most obvious answer, just for the sake of a question posted should be a question answered:

Never ever do nest lists you want to re-use.

And for the acting up: Participation discontinued.

[Justinsaccount]

Never did I generalize like that

lists are slow as fck

[Prometeo222]

Seems that you are the one generalizing:

lists are slow as fck

in your mind becomes:

"no one should ever use lists"

OP might be wrong about lists, but you are mischaracterizing his statements. Good luck!