Remove misleading advice.  VERSION was not intended to be used that way.
diff --git a/README b/README
index 9a7708e..99af922 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -881,12 +881,6 @@
 doesn't create the hard link to "python<version>" named "python" and
 it doesn't install the manual page at all.
 
-Alpha/beta revision levels are stripped from the executable and
-library filenames during installation. For example, Python2.1a2 will
-install as python2.1, overwriting the previous python2.1. To avoid
-this, you could set the Makefile VERSION variable manually
-(e.g. VERSION=2.1a2) before running "make install" or "make altinstall".
-
 The only thing you may have to install manually is the Python mode for
 Emacs found in Misc/python-mode.el.  (But then again, more recent
 versions of Emacs may already have it.)  Follow the instructions that