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

[John Baxter]

In article <aqp1et$iqd$0 at 216.39.172.122>, bokr at oz.net (Bengt Richter) 
wrote:

> On Mon, 11 Nov 2002 08:35:09 -0800, John Baxter <jwbaxter at spamcop.net> wrote:
> 
> >In article <3dcf6a25$0$35901$edfadb0f at dread13.news.tele.dk>,
> > "Anders J. Munch" <andersjm at dancontrol.dk> wrote:
> >
> >> A fascinating read - like
> >> when they invented garbage collection because they didn't have enough
> >> spare bits for reference counting in the IBM 704 machine word ;)
> >> 
> >> on-a-64-bit-machine-would-McCarthy-have-invented-Python-instead?-ly y'rs,
> >
> >We might have found out, had IBM ever gotten "Stretch" to work.
> >
> I thought there was a "Stretch" doing production work at a Navy lab in the 
> 60's.

There might well have been.  "A Stretch" after all the effort IBM put 
into the beast isn't very impressive...unless of course there were 
others.  But the whole line headed by the 704 died very early in 360 
time (much to the disgust of folks who needed the capabilities the line 
had and the 360 didn't do well).

  --John