Subject: Re: Core Lisp (was: explicit package markers (Ex: Re: cond and if....)
From: Erik Naggum <erik@naggum.no>
Date: 1999/03/22
Newsgroups: comp.lang.lisp
Message-ID: <3131092057449863@naggum.no>

* Kelly Murray <kem@IntelliMarket.Com>
| The big issue is getting more people to program in Lisp, and that means
| making it easier for them to learn and use Lisp, and to give them some
| advantage for doing so.

  no, it doesn't.  Lisp is already easy to learn, and anyone who learns it
  and uses it derives great advantages from doing so.  the issue is how to
  make people aware of this.  the way to do that is manifestly _not_ to
  give in to the people who use something else today and pretend it's like
  it.  such moves try to take the results of one heritage and graft them
  onto another.  that's not how grafting works.  at best, you'll completely
  cannibalize Lisp and some other language will get all its features, and
  _Lisp_ no longer has the advantages.

  what you're proposing, Kelly, is like going into prostitution because sex
  is good and you want to get laid more often.  while the goal is reached,
  it has obvious drawbacks and costs.  I'm rather curious why you don't see
  the costs of your own proposals.

  (comp.lang.scheme excised.)

#:Erik