ILC2005: McCarthy denounces Common Lisp, "Lisp", XML, and Rahul - comp.lang.lisp

Message from discussion ILC2005: McCarthy denounces Common Lisp, "Lisp", XML, and Rahul

Kenny Tilton

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More options Jun 24 2005, 2:11 am

Newsgroups: comp.lang.lisp

From: Kenny Tilton <ktil...@nyc.rr.com>

Date: Fri, 24 Jun 2005 06:11:26 GMT

Local: Fri, Jun 24 2005 2:11 am

Subject: Re: ILC2005: McCarthy denounces Common Lisp, "Lisp", XML, and Rahul

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Paul F. Dietz wrote:
> Christopher C. Stacy wrote:

>> Kenny Tilton <ktil...@nyc.rr.com> writes:

>>> * McCarthy actually meant that very little code lasts ten years.

>> That would suggest a serious disconnect with reality;
>> it's a little hard to believe.

> I think he said 20 years, not 10,

Fantastic. We have a new entry for examples of "stupid quibble". Rahul
said ten, OK? (As if it fucking matters.)

and I'm not sure he was

> entirely serious.

I think this is the difference between a yobbo and and an intellect.

While everyone was laughing at "you do not look old enough...", and
Rahul was protesting that he meant "in the future", McCarthy slipped in
the mumble making clear that his point was simply that very little code
(from anyone!) lasts long enough to justify freezing a language. Your
correspondent can confirm this from <gasp!> actual production dode
experience.

Anyone with an iota of an experience in production code knows how fast
systems get swapped out, and that was the trivial yet telling point
McCarthy made in teasing Rahul and that particular defense of
standardization.

--
Kenny

Why Lisp? http://lisp.tech.coop/RtL%20Highlight%20Film

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