Why is if not someobj: better than if someobj == None: in Python?

if not someobj:
    #do something

if someobj == None:
    #do something

>>> class A(object):
...    def __repr__(self):
...        return 'A()'
...    def __nonzero__(self):
...        return False

>>> class B(object):
...    def __repr__(self):
...        return 'B()'
...    def __len__(self):
...        return 0

>>> class C(object):
...    def __repr__(self):
...        return 'C()'
...    def __cmp__(self, other):
...        return 0

>>> class D(object):
...    def __repr__(self):
...        return 'D()'
...    def __eq__(self, other):
...        return True

>>> for obj in ['', (), [], {}, 0, 0., A(), B(), C(), D(), None]:
...     print '%4s: bool(obj) -> %5s, obj == None -> %5s, obj is None -> %5s' %
...         (repr(obj), bool(obj), obj == None, obj is None)
  '': bool(obj) -> False, obj == None -> False, obj is None -> False
  (): bool(obj) -> False, obj == None -> False, obj is None -> False
  []: bool(obj) -> False, obj == None -> False, obj is None -> False
  {}: bool(obj) -> False, obj == None -> False, obj is None -> False
   0: bool(obj) -> False, obj == None -> False, obj is None -> False
 0.0: bool(obj) -> False, obj == None -> False, obj is None -> False
 A(): bool(obj) -> False, obj == None -> False, obj is None -> False
 B(): bool(obj) -> False, obj == None -> False, obj is None -> False
 C(): bool(obj) ->  True, obj == None ->  True, obj is None -> False
 D(): bool(obj) ->  True, obj == None ->  True, obj is None -> False
None: bool(obj) -> False, obj == None ->  True, obj is None ->  True

- Comparisons to singletons like None should always be done with
  'is' or 'is not', never the equality operators.

  Also, beware of writing "if x" when you really mean "if x is not None"
  -- e.g. when testing whether a variable or argument that defaults to
  None was set to some other value.  The other value might have a type
  (such as a container) that could be false in a boolean context!

if not False:
    print "False is false."
if not 0:
    print "0 is false."
if not []:
    print "An empty list is false."
if not ():
    print "An empty tuple is false."
if not {}:
    print "An empty dict is false."
if not "":
    print "An empty string is false."

>>> False == 0
True
>>> False == ()
False

foo = bar and spam or eggs

if bar:
    foo = bar
else:
    foo = eggs

if not spam:
    print "Sorry. No SPAM."

if spam == None:
    print "Sorry. No SPAM here either."

- Comparisons to singletons like None should always be done with
  'is' or 'is not', never the equality operators.