DEPR: NDFrame.set_axis inplace defaults to false #27525
https://github.com/pandas-dev/pandas/blob/76247c142893c710e970c4cf8a25d73121aa5a2b/pandas/core/generic.py#L594-L598

has been there since <del>#20164</del> #16994 (issue was #14636), part of 0.21.0.

With discussion of plans to deprecate similar functionality from set_index in #24046, it's time to make sure `set_axis` conforms to the rest of pandas in this.
In case anyone is looking for it I think you meant to reference #16994 (the OP just points to a documentation update) Thanks for the review thanks @pilkibun  cc @toobaz,  you had some sentiments relating this to the `set_index` vs. `set_axis` debate  in https://github.com/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/16994#issue-130885544 in relation to `set_index` vs. `set_axis`. I'm not what your position was, but It sounds like two years ago you were against both the little-endians *and* the big-endians ;)

... Can we haz some docs now? @pilkibun I think I'm missing something, as I don't understand.

But related to the comment you link, I guess it is probably time to remove this warning I had introduced...

https://github.com/pandas-dev/pandas/blob/37f29e5bf967d76d76a05e84b5c9b14c9bc66f23/pandas/core/generic.py#L650

(and the subsequent reassignment). > @pilkibun I think I'm missing something, as I don't understand.

You objected to "publicizing" `set_axis` in the docs because of its defects and also that changing the default to `inplace=False` (this PR) is necessary before it can become officially recommended. 

Now that that's done, I hope you'll push for making a decision on `set_index` vs. `set_axis`, so that we can finally document what the "official" method is. OK, now I see where you're going.

The defects of ``set_axis`` are, as you saw, a thing of the past, and they are/were entirely unrelated to ``set_index``. You can just go on with a nice docs PR "publicizing" ``set_axis`` if you like.

The API contains a lot of "official" methods to do a lot of different things.

Please stop provoking.