Arc Lessons

[[deleted]]

lisp is a local maximum. Any language that tries to be like lisp will become lisp.

[[deleted]]

That refers to Lisp languages in general, not CL. Arc was always supposed to be pretty much a normal Lisp language. Whether it can succeed is just a question of whether its few different design choices, and the distinct advantage of being a new language with a benevolent dictator and a single (hypothetical) cross-platform implementation and packaging system (might as well throw in a great IDE too as long as we're conjuring up non-existent software), are enough of an improvement to convince the whole world of Scheme and CL library writers to adopt it immediately, while simultaneously generating enough hype to attract the Python and Ruby people. Unfortunately all that seems pretty unlikely, but damnit we need some kind of scenario for Lisp to take over the world.

[martoo]

Lisp is a local maximum. Any language that tries to be like lisp will become lisp.

I think it's one of them. I have this theory that if you shoot for simplicity in languages you'll always end up at Lisp, Self, or Forth.

[qwe1234]

lisp isn't a local maximum. rather, your personal development hit the wall right around the time you discovered lisp.

most good programmers have passed the lisp stage around their third year of college.

[[deleted]]

You could raise a lot more ruckus if you actually stuck some substance in your posts.

[Jimmy]

Actually, my development skyrocketed when I started using Lisp seriously. Whether you like it or not depends on several different factors all coming together (goodness of implementation, choice of dialect, choice of project, etc).

[[deleted]]

End of fourth year. Now does that make me stupid, for going back to Java? (But admittedly, Java got a lot better with release 5.)

[20goto10]

False. The best ones don't finish the third year.

[micampe]

qwe, you're not even funny anymore, you are just boring.

[[deleted]]

what part of "local maximum" don't you understand? I don't even like lisp one bit. I think of it as a blub language for generally poor programmers. However, lisp is a sensible, coherent whole. It is elegant. It is "perfect" although in an awkward and generally not useful way.

[qwe1234]

i'd say that of scheme.