Use u'string' when talking about strings (i.e. character data, without attached encoding); use 'string' when talking about a *bytestring*, i.e. encoded data (where the so called string is just a representation of an array of ints)
Apparently """ is also interpreted as character data.
--valhallasw
(Raffaello: sorry for the double message. I clicked 'reply' instead of 'reply to all' ;))