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by Rochus 2015 days ago
"Lisp isn't a language, it's a building material." (Alan Kay, see e.g. http://www.paulgraham.com/quotes.html?viewfullsite=1).

I first used Lisp more than thirty years ago (back then on the VAX), but I still don't understand why it is supposed to be the "best programming language" (as some people continue to claim). It is not even obvious to me how to recognize a programming language as the "best" one. The advantage of the simple syntax is paid with several disadvantages. Praising Lisp for its simple syntax is like praising a protein for its simple structure consisting only of a chain of amino acids.
1 comments
Hexstream 2015 days ago
Simple syntax is just one of countless crucial features.

Here is just a trivial sample: https://twitter.com/HexstreamSoft/status/1334220825281654785

Fairly extensive advocacy pieces already exist, and we need even more sophisticated ones, and better infrastructure overall, and it would be much easier to do that with proper funding.

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Rochus 2014 days ago
It does not help to "prove" an assertion by making further unsubstantiated assertions.

Why is Lisp the "best programming language"? How can we recognize a programming language as the "best" one at all? Why do "we need even more sophisticated" extensive advocacy pieces? What "better infrastructure" is required for what purpose?

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Hexstream 2014 days ago
> It does not help to "prove" an assertion by making further unsubstantiated assertions.

Exactly, so stop doing that, then. Including sealioning.

> Why is Lisp the "best programming language"?

First, the best programming language is Common Lisp, not just any Lisp. Second, I already gave hints towards answering your question above, but you do have to do your homework if you want to even have a chance at understanding.

> How can we recognize a programming language as the "best" one at all?

Easily, if you understand the best programming language and see that all others are blub.

> Why do "we need even more sophisticated" extensive advocacy pieces?

Because then we can just point non-believers like you at it to automatically win all arguments.

> What "better infrastructure" is required for what purpose?

Have you even read the Common Lisp Revival 2020 Fundraiser pitch? I encourage everyone to do so, and urgently.

https://github.com/sponsors/Hexstream

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Rochus 2014 days ago
Is this in all seriousness your answer to the questions? And yes, I looked through your rather chaotic pitch.
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Hexstream 2014 days ago
It is chaotic, I'll give you that. This is a direct reflection of the chaotic state of the Common Lisp community and of all the hard work that is going to be required to bring it to a state of dignity.

I am actively working on bringing about this change, and although I am already fairly effective despite the constant and increasingly blatant sabotage and almost total lack of funding, I would be quite a bit more effective with at least some minimal funding.

For instance, 1000$/month would be effectively infinite money for me at this time. I'm not exactly asking for the moon here...

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Rochus 2014 days ago
Why not looking for a job and doing Lisp in the spare time?
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