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From: wware@world.std.com (Will Ware)
Subject: Re: Parallelism (superior(?) programming languages
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Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 18:34:01 GMT
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Rob Warnock (rpw3@rigden.engr.sgi.com) wrote:
: Tony Griffiths  <tonyg@OntheNet.com.au> wrote:
: +---------------
: | The reason people use C is the same reason Basic became so popular in
: | the PC world...  there is a zero learning curve needed to write your
: | first 'working' program.  Eg.
: | 
: | Basic:	10	print "Hello world"
: | 	20	end
: | 
: | C:	#include <stdio.h>
: | 	main() {
: | 		printf("Hello world\n");
: | 	}
: +---------------
: Scheme:
: 	(display "Hello world")
: 	(newline)
: Common Lisp:
: 	(format t "Hello world~%")
: So... Explain to me again how that "#include <stdio.h>" and "main(){}" stuff
: represents a *ZERO* learning curve???

He's got a point though: the whole infrastructure is in place for C, in a
way that it isn't for Lisp or Scheme. When you're a clueless newbie and you
first walk up to a computer, chances are it's set up for C (or maybe Basic)
and the whole environment around the computer is designed to support work
in C. The result is that you become another C programmer, and perpetuate
the whole thing.

People sometimes rage against the apparent conspiracy as if there were really
other people working somewhere to systematically wipe out Lisp, at whom the
first bunch ought to be angry. But of course, this isn't the case. Like
Adam Smith's invisible hand, the "conspiracy" that keeps C on top needs no
active sentient planners, just a lot of loosely coupled individuals each
pursuing their own ends.
-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------
Will Ware <wware@world.std.com> web <http://world.std.com/~wware/>
PGP fingerprint   45A8 722C D149 10CC   F0CF 48FB 93BF 7289
