Python syntax in Lisp and Scheme

[Karl A. Krueger]

In comp.lang.lisp David Rush <drush at aol.net> wrote:
> Ah well, We all knew it was too good to last. Have at it, lads!
> 
> Common Lisp is an ugly language that is impossible to understand with 
> crufty semantics
> 
> Scheme is only used by ivory-tower academics and is irerelevant to real 
> world programming
> 
> Python is a religion that worships at the feet of Guido vanRossum
> combining the syntactic flaws of lisp with a bad case of feeping 
> creaturisms taken from languages more civilized than itself
> 
> There. Is everyone pissed off now?

This seems like a good juncture to post my list of common myths and
misconceptions about popular programming languages.  Contributions are
welcome; flames only if they're funny.  Anyone who needs to see :) on
things to know they're meant in jest should stop reading now.


		    == Programming Language Myths ==

BASIC Myth:  People who learn BASIC go on to learn other languages.
Reality:  Most people who learn BASIC go on to find less nerdy ways of
          writing "Mr. Gzabowski is a lame teacher" over and over again.

C Myth:  C programs are insecure, full of buffer overflows and such.
Reality:  C programs are only insecure if written by imperfect programmers.
          Since all C programmers know that they are perfect, there's no
          problem.

COBOL Myth:  COBOL is dead.
Reality:  It stalks from out the ancient vaults of death, its putrid mind
          drawn to the blood of the living.

Forth Myth:  Forth makes no sense.
Reality:  backwards. think to have just you sense, perfect makes Forth

Java Myth:  You need Java to do business applications.
Reality:  You need Java to get a job.

Lisp Myth:  Lisp is an interpreted language.
Reality:  Lisp is COMPILED DAMMIT COMPILED!  IT'S IN THE FUCKING STANDARD!!!

Pascal Myth:  Pascal is a toy.
Reality:  Oh, wait, that is not a myth, it is true ...

Perl Myth:  Perl is impossible to read.
Reality:  You are not taking enough psychedelics.

Python Myth:  Python's only problem is the whitespace thing.
Reality:  Python's only problem is that it is fucking slow.  

-- 
Karl A. Krueger <kkrueger at example.edu>
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Email address is spamtrapped.  s/example/whoi/
"Outlook not so good." -- Magic 8-Ball Software Reviews