[Edu-sig] Lisping

[Arthur]

Got through the first few chapters of "Practical Common Lisp".

Whether I end up liking Lisp remains to be seen, but I have seen enough
already to begin to appreciate Lisp.

And have more confidence that my instincts where sensible - taking this
detour as a way of getting to the next stage as a Python programmer.

And the experience, so far, also reinforces my instincts about Python - as a
learning language. With little other than some Python under my belt, I can
make my way through the Lisp presentation feeling prepared and competent.

So in my case, Python has been foundation for exploring first Java - and
getting far enough into it that I felt I understood its fundamentals, and
that I could become competent in it should I choose (and chose not to) -
and now Lisp.

I would think that the fact that Python has provided a foundation that could
take me in each of these directions says a lot its utility as a learning
language.

I just wish, as always, we could disassociate "learning language" from the
notion of "easy".  I wouldn't expect an effort that provides the foundation
for learning of approaches to programming as diverse as Java and Lisp to be
easy.  My sense is that in some important senses learning Java is easier
than learning Python.  But at the end of it I also suspect that one is a
Java programmer - and little else. Which is why it is not a particularly
good learning language. 

Art