Let me try to get this straight: Lisp is a language for describing algorithms. This was JohnMcCarthy's original purpose, anyway: to build something more convenient than a Turing machine. Lisp is not about file, socket or GUI programming - Lisp is about expressive power. (For example, you can design multiple object systems for Lisp, in Lisp. Or implement the now-fashionable AOP. Or do arbitrary transformations on parsed source code.) If you don't value expressive power, Lisp ain't for you. I, personally, would prefer Lisp to not become mainstream: this would necessarily involve a dumbing down. -- VladimirSlepnev

It is practically impossible to teach good programming style to students that have had prior exposure to BASIC. As potential programmers, they are mentally mutilated beyond hope of regeneration. -- E. W. Dijkstra

What Paul does, and does very well, is to take ideas and concepts that are beautiful in the abstract, and brings them down to a real world level. That's a rare talent to find in writing these days. -- Jeff "hemos" Bates, Director, OSDN; Co-evolver, Slashdot

If debugging is the process of removing bugs, then programming must be the process of putting them in. -- Edsger W. Dijkstra

Philosophy: the finding of bad reasons for what one believes by instinct. -- Brave New World (paraphrased)

We control complexity by building abstractions that hide details when appropriate. We control complexity by establishing conventional interfaces that enable us to construct systems by combining standard, well-understood pieces in a ``mix and match'' way. We control complexity by establishing new languages for describing a design, each of which emphasizes particular aspects of the design and deemphasizes others. -- Alan J. Perlis

If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten. –Tony Robbins

To be successful you must accept all challenges that come your way. You can’t just accept the ones you like. ~Mike Gafka

Real difficulties can be overcome; it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable. ~Theodore N. Vail

Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. ~Lolly Daskal