Python syntax in Lisp and Scheme

[Doug Tolton]

Andrew Dalke wrote:

> Doug Tolton:
> 
>>I have this personal theory (used in the non-strict sense here) that
>>given enough time any homogenous group will split into at least two
>>competing factions.
> 
> 
> Reminds me of Olaf Stapledon's "First and Last Men"?  His
> civilizations often had two roughtly equal but opposing components.
I haven't read it, I may have to check it out.
> 
> Also reminds me of learning about the blue eyed/brown eyed
> experiment in my sociology class in high school.  As it turns out,
> I was the only blue-eyed person in the class of 25 or so.  :)
I'm not familiar with this experiment.  What is it about, and what are 
the results?
> 
> 
>>Over time it seems to me that human
>>beings are incapable of remaining as one single cohesive group, rather
>>that they will always separate into several competing factions.  Or at
>>the very least groups will splinter off the main group and form their
>>own group.
> 
> 
> Not necessarily "competing", except in a very general sense.  Is
> Australian English in competition with Canadian English?
I guess it comes more into play when there is some limited resource put 
into play (eg Darwin), such as winning a prize, making money, number of 
people using your system.  I agree not everything is a direct 
competition, but I bet if you started comparing Australian English to 
Canadian English with both types of speakers, eventually serious 
disagreement about some minute point would break out.
> 
> 
>>However in the opensource world I expect splinters to happen frequently,
>>simply because there is little to no organizational control.  Even
>>Python hasn't been immune to this phenomenon with both Jython and
>>Stackless emerging.
> 
> 
> As well as PyPy and (more esoterically) Vyper.
> 
> Excepting the last, all have had the goal of supporting the C Python
> standard library where reasonably possible.  When not possible
> (as the case with Jython and various C extensions), then supporting
> the native Java libraries.
I'm not saying they aren't good choices, or that they can even decide to 
work together, rather that over time groups tend to diverge.  Look at 
Unix/Linux/FreeBsd as an example.  I'm sure there are times when 
divergent groups die out and re-enter the main branch as well.
> 
> 
>>"bristly" ;)
> 
> 
> Ohh!  Good word!  I had forgotten about it.
> 
I have to give the credit to David Mertz on that one.  He used it in 
correspondence with me, and I liked it a lot too.

-- 
Doug Tolton
(format t "~a@~a~a.~a" "dtolton" "ya" "hoo" "com")