Why is Python popular, while Lisp and Scheme aren't?

[Alex Martelli]

Paul Foley wrote:

> On Thu, 21 Nov 2002 10:36:24 +0800, Maptek  wrote:
> 
>> Even if Python and Ruby have or will have the _capabilities_ that Lisp
>> has, (Python (will (never (be (lisp))))).
> 
> Then it'll never have the _capabilities_ that Lisp has; because the
> syntax is the major source of those _capabilities_ that distinguish
> Lisp from lesser languages.

It seems to me that Dylan is a creditable attempt to deny this assertion -- 
Dylan has no lisp-oid syntax, yet Dylan's capabilities do appear to be 
quite similar to Lisp's at least at the level of approximation that "major 
source" would seem to entail.


Alex