begin quoting Bob La Quey as of Mon, Jan 08, 2007 at 06:46:29PM -0800: [snip] > This quote is an extremely accurate description of the mindset > of a good Forth programmer as well. I do not consider it a criticism. > I consider it a description that helps one to know when to use > Lisp (or Forth) and when not to. > > Again the interactivity, which allows one to truly converse with oneself > through the computing media is the reason why these environments > support the BBM. The smalltalk crowd typically goes on at length with the praising of interactivity, too.
Sometimes it's a good idea. > Like its close cousin Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) the BBM has its > place and can make magnificent contributions. A good manager of > a team of say a dozen people needs to have at least one BBM running > out front. That same manager better plan on tossing most of that > code out (but keeping an occasional idea.) Programming is, after all, > not just about the mechanical and "professional" implementation of > specs. It is also a creative activity and it helps to have a few seriously > creative and slightly out of control people around even in a business. Yup! > Not everyone is designed to be an employee. There are other goals > in life than being "attractive to an employer." I figured that doing a good job was important, even if it means that I don't quite fit the mold or march in step with everyone else. > Still crazy after all these years, And still fun, too. > BobLQ > > PS for Chris. The key is interactivity. You _must_ experience this. <agreement/> > Talking about it is not the same. Talking about sex is not the same > as experiencing sex. Go try a Lisp system for a while. You will either > "get it" within a few days ... or you won't. It is _not_ the same as just > grinding through learning another language. It is using your mind in > a different way, a way many programmers never experience. Rinse, lather, repeat, with other languages. > BTW, one test of whether or not you might be the personality type > to really like Lisp is to answer the question, "What is the longest that > you have ever programmed in one session?" If the answer is more than > twenty four hours than you might well be a BM and maybe even a BBM. > Toss in a little ADD and you could be a potential mighty Lisper. I've never done the same thing for 24 hours, except to read and drive. The former is counter-productive, and the later is just plain dangerous. If I haven't had a major success or failure in a half-dozen hours, I'm just beating my head against the wall and I need to go for a walk. I guess I'm not BBM... > Perhaps you think I am being tongue in cheek. I am not. These are my > true beliefs. It takes all kinds. Amen. -- Diversity is the key to being able to recognize a better way. Stewart Stremler -- [email protected] http://www.kernel-panic.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/kplug-list
