Ok, thanks for trying but I think we're talking past each other. I feel pretty confident that I'm not just ignoring 20 years in the industry. (I've spent 20 years in the industry.) If I'm missing something it's subtle and I don't think you're anywhere near it. So I'll stop engaging here.
m.nn.pp-alpha-rc0 may convey meaning to the author, but it is meaningless to users because the 'alpha' and 'rc0' mean different things in different libraries, based on their release processes.
You have spent more sentences on my tuple idea than I spent introducing then completely emptying it. That suggests that I have failed to convey my larger point to you. I'm going to agree to disagree and move on.
> m.nn.pp-alpha-rc0 may convey meaning to the author, but it is meaningless to users because the 'alpha' and 'rc0' mean different things in different libraries, based on their release processes
I don't think you are using the word "meaningless" correctly. rc0 may not mean exactly the same thing in different software packages, but it always means the first release candidate. Thus, it is not meaningless - it conveys meaning. And if the user wants, they can look up that software package, and find out exactly what rc0 means, gaining even more meaning from the description. Perhaps you are trying to say that rc0 doesn't convey as much information as quickly as the alternative you are proposing?
m.nn.pp-alpha-rc0 may convey meaning to the author, but it is meaningless to users because the 'alpha' and 'rc0' mean different things in different libraries, based on their release processes.
You have spent more sentences on my tuple idea than I spent introducing then completely emptying it. That suggests that I have failed to convey my larger point to you. I'm going to agree to disagree and move on.