From ... Path: supernews.google.com!sn-xit-02!sn-xit-03!supernews.com!xfer13.netnews.com!netnews.com!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.gtei.net!EU.net!Norway.EU.net!127.0.0.1!nobody From: Erik Naggum Newsgroups: comp.lang.lisp Subject: Re: On comparing apples and oranges (was: Q: on hashes and counting) Date: 27 Oct 2000 00:24:33 +0000 Organization: Naggum Software; vox: +47 800 35477; gsm: +47 93 256 360; fax: +47 93 270 868; http://naggum.no; http://naggum.net Lines: 33 Message-ID: <3181595073617290@naggum.net> References: <8sl58e$ivq$1@nnrp1.deja.com> <8snsfg$pre$1@nnrp1.deja.com> <8spidj$3c9$1@nnrp1.deja.com> <3181049804953878@naggum.net> <87aebzfaj3.fsf@qiwi.uncommon-sense.net> <3181075728435884@naggum.net> <87itqji4lg.fsf@cartman.azz.net> <3181386946431105@naggum.net> <87u2a03odq.fsf@cartman.azz.net> <3181482879710364@naggum.net> <8t7ame$q6k$1@nnrp1.deja.com> <4d7gnpczo.fsf@beta.franz.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Trace: oslo-nntp.eunet.no 972606604 356 195.0.192.66 (27 Oct 2000 00:30:04 GMT) X-Complaints-To: newsmaster@eunet.no NNTP-Posting-Date: 27 Oct 2000 00:30:04 GMT mail-copies-to: never User-Agent: Gnus/5.0803 (Gnus v5.8.3) Emacs/20.7 Xref: supernews.google.com comp.lang.lisp:2691 * Duane Rettig | English is weird :-) It's the most fascinating language of all, if you ask me. The only way to master it is to make up your own rules as you observe what is correct or appropriate usage and what is not. It's the language you can only master if you appreciate chaos and complexity. This is how humans learn languages naturally. Many other languages have somwhat of a "Scheme nature": Designed to fit some predetermined scheme or even be _built_ using rules. Imposed rules are fragile. Rules that we come to understand are _not_ fragile, because they don't try to over-extend themselves or even pretend to be universal. Many small rules (more like interrelated similarities) that have no exceptions (because what is not similar is not covered) are _so_ superior to the rules that have exceptions and no rule to the exceptions, which means you have to base your understanding on grouping similirities, anyway, so dispense with the imposed rules, already. I personally believe the language English was a necessary condition for the rise of individual rights and democracy. The other European languages are still class-oriented, very rigid and rule-based, and are used oppressively by the governments that back correct usage of these languages. Ironically, English has been far more stable over much longer periods of time than these class-controlled languages, which are, obviously, subject to political mood swings as different classes demand recognition, despite the idea that government control over the languages lead to stability. #:Erik, digressing, again... -- I agree with everything you say, but I would attack to death your right to say it. -- Tom Stoppard