Why aren't we all speaking LISP now?

[Andy Todd]

Laura Creighton <lac at cd.chalmers.se> wrote in
<mailman.989409253.7945.python-list at python.org>: 

[Major snippage]
>
>What sort of teaching did the rest of you that took computer science
>courses get?

Well, I feel qualified to answer this question because I've got a degree in 
Management and Computer Science. Which, if I'm honest, qualifies me to be 
able to understand the rubbish both computer scientists and management 
speak ;-)

However, The discussion is an interesting one but has one *major* 
presumption; that the study of computer science is the study of 
programming. 

The only programming course I took during my degree course was Introduction 
to COBOL (for *$%@@'s sake!) and even then we had to submit all of our 
course work as written source code listings. Actual use of a computer was 
not required, in fact it was positively discouraged amongst undergraduates.

Now, ten or so years later I make my living in IT and (allegedly) do a lot 
of development (i.e programming) work. I can still converse with 
developers, management and business people largely due to the firm 
grounding I had at University in the concepts of information technology. 

Never once did we discuss the merits of LISP vs Python vs C vs Assembler, 
rather I studied the 'Concepts and Paradigms of Computer Languages'. Not 
for us Oracle vs Sybase vs Informix vs DB2, but 'Principles of Database 
Systems' and 'Advanced Database Systems' [ hetergeneous databases that will 
encapsulate relational, hierarchical, object and sequential database 
concepts anyone? ]. 
As I've said, I make my living (largely) as a programmer but every 
programming language (tool) that I use for my work has been learnt on the 
job (through formal training as well as the hard way). I bring knowledge, 
experience and design savvy, they provide the toolkit.

Having said that, Python is the only language I have taken time out to 
learn by myself and I regret not a minute of it. Now, if I could just 
persuade my clients to stop using some of the technologies they currently 
(ab)use and to wake up and smell the 21st century I'd be a very happy 
bunny, but that's another thread ...

As a final observation, is it possible that the approach to education 
differs between the US and, say, Europe? At my university in the UK the 
emphasis was not on rote learning (like school and US undergraduate courses 
<duck>) but on getting to grips with the fundamental tenets of the subject 
you studied. I must admit to not making sense of some of this stuff until 
*many* years later, but when the 'aha' moments came they reassured my faith 
that my education wasn't completely wasted.

>
>Laura Creighton
>lac at cd.chalmers.se
>

Regards,
Andy
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