merits of Lisp vs Python

[George Sakkis]

Ken Tilton wrote:
> George Sakkis wrote:
> > JShrager at gmail.com wrote:
> >
> >>Okay, since everyone ignored the FAQ, I guess I can too...
> >>
> >>Mark Tarver wrote:
> >>
> >>>How do you compare Python to Lisp?  What specific advantages do you
> >>>think that one has over the other?
> >>
> >>(Common) Lisp is the only industrial strength language with both pure
> >>compositionality and a real compiler. What Python has is stupid slogans
> >>("It fits your brain." "Only one way to do things.") and an infinite
> >>community of flies that, for some inexplicable reason, believe these
> >>stupid slogns. These flies are, however, quite useful because they
> >>produce infinite numbers of random libraries, some of which end up
> >>being useful. But consider: Tcl replaced Csh, Perl replaced Tcl, Python
> >>is rapidly replacing Perl, and Ruby is simultaneously and even more
> >>rapidly replacing Python. Each is closer to Lisp than the last; the
> >>world is returning to Lisp and is dragging the flies with it.
> >>Eventually the flies will descend upon Lisp itself and will bring with
> >>them their infinite number of random libraries, and then things will be
> >>where they should have been 20 years ago, but got sidetracked by Tcl
> >>and other line noise.
> >
> >
> > I know we shouldn't feed the trolls, but this one was particularly
> > amusing to resist the urge. The joke about lisp's world domination in
> > some unspecified point in the future never fails to bring a good
> > chuckle. I heard it's scheduled right after strong AI and before time
> > travel, is this still the plan? A quick look at
> > http://www.tiobe.com/tpci.htm may be helpful as a reality check before
> > you go back to your ivory tower (interesting how close in ratings and
> > growth is the "Lisp/Scheme" entry with another dinosaur, Cobol).
> >
>
> And it interesting that VB is almost three times "better" than Python,
> and that a Honda could kick a Lamboghini's ass for it at Laguna Seca:

Didn't say better, not even in quotes (and btw, if you're only doing
GUI apps in MS, VB is the path of least resistance in many cases, as is
PHP for quick'n'dirty web apps). What was funny in the GP's post was
the pomposity about "flies eventually descending upon Lisp itself", as
if language popularity (or any popularity for that matter) is
determined solely by theoretical computer science metrics.

George