Re: Cool and Useful LISP for the .emacs file

["Jody M. Klymak" <jklymak@coas.oregonstate.edu>]

Hello Dan,

Dan Anderson <dan@mathjunkies.com> writes:

> 	Of course, sometimes one gets stuck in a rut or paradigm and
> forgets how to leave.  This should not be confused with difficulty
> programming in it, but trouble adapting to new habits.

My point was that the rut occupied by C, python, perl, etc is wide and
shallow compared to the rather narrow and deep rut occupied by lisp.
I'm not trying to say that lisp is a bad language, but, adapting to
new habits takes time.  Having to jump ruts is an obstacle to those of
us who do not choose to invest this time.

I wonder how many more developers there might be for emacs if it had a
more accessible programming language.  And I wonder if being wedded to
lisp will have an impact on emacs' future.  Certainly, for me, it
makes casual dilettante hacking for my own uses difficult, whereas I
can usually muddle by in a piece of perl code.  

But perhaps your sentiments are correct - maybe the litmus test of
having to learn lisp keeps out the riff-raff and leaves emacs to be
developed by the dedicated "professional programmers."  Maybe that is
why it has remained so successful and the quality of what is out
there so high.  I'm just trying to point out the point of view from a
longtime user in the trenches.  

Cheers,  Jody