Why is Python popular, while Lisp and Scheme aren't?

[Jacek Generowicz]

Robin Munn <rmunn at pobox.com> writes:

> So we were learning a new style of programming, functional
> programming, which we had to wrap our brains around.

> Now that I've gotten productive in Python, I may give Lisp another
> try, although I think I'll study Haskell first as a kind of
> stepping-stone (functional programming without the parentheses-heavy
> syntax).

You do realize that funcitonal programming is just one of the
programming paradigms that Lisp supports ?

(But I understand where you're coming from: I followed a small Lisp
course about a decade ago, and the Lisp that was presented there bears
very little resemblance to what I have since discovered Lisp to be, in
reality.)

> But what I'd really like before I try Lisp again is a special
> color-highlighting mode that would distinguish between deeply-nested
> parentheses, either coloring the parentheses themselves or else all
> the text between said parentheses. Something like this:
> 
> (first
>     (second
>         (third
>             (fourth
>             )
>         )
>     )
> )

(Point of information: dangling parentheses are most definitely NOT
good Lisp code layout style.)

> where each indentation level would be a different color (foreground?
> background?).

... Just curious ... have you ever felt the need for such an
indentation-based colour-highlighting feature when programming in
Python?

If so, has the lack of it hindered you from programming in Python ?

If not, what makes you think that it would be useful in Lisp?