Lisp, Python, and other comparisons

[Christopher Dimech via Emacs news and miscellaneous discussions outside the scope of other Emacs mailing lists <emacs-tangents@gnu.org>]

From: 	Dr. Arne Babenhauserheide
Subject: 	Re: Emacs website, Lisp, and other
Date: 	Mon, 05 Aug 2024 14:56:14 +0200

Emanuel Berg <incal@dataswamp.org> writes:

> Christopher Dimech wrote:
>> The best education one can get today is by self discovery.

I tried that while at school. Luckily my teachers trusted my skills
enough to let me step out of chemistry class for half a year and learn
by myself. And prove my knowledge afterwards.

My takeaway was:

I could learn Chemistry myself. It worked.
But it took three times as much time as learning it in school.

So, having actual, tested experience with both styles of learning,
I disagree. As long as your teachers are somewhat competent, learning in
school is far more efficient than learning only by self discovery.

And if you take it seriously, you develop deeper understanding than when
you only do self discovery (and take that as seriously).

>>> Okay, then everyone should know this is a controversial
>>> thing to say. No one, or very few, would recommend Emacs
>>> Lisp as an alternative to Python 2024.

Having gone from Python to Guile Scheme around 2013, I also disagree ☺

But having said that: I do consider indentation style code more readable
than using mostly parentheses.

After reading people say things like

«allows people to see code how Lispers perceive it. Its structure
 becomes apparent.»,
«it makes Scheme way more “approachable”», and
«I have actually found it insanely useful to getting stuff done»,

I think I have a point.

> I don't know the details of the history but I doubt it
> happened that way.

There is a thread of thoughts by Beka Valentine from just these days
about how hackers tend to mix up who got popular with who is better,
because they don’t like to accept that languages usually do not grow
widespread by Logical Truth. I suggest reading that, before continuing
this discussion.

https://rollenspiel.social/@beka_valentine@kolektiva.social/112905007985491839

Best wishes,
Arne
-- 
Unpolitisch sein
heißt politisch sein,
ohne es zu merken.
draketo.de

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