Subject: Re: RFC: Lisp/Scheme with less parentheses through Python-like    significant   indentation?
From: Erik Naggum <erik@naggum.net>
Date: 2000/08/11
Newsgroups: comp.lang.lisp
Message-ID: <3174983985849332@naggum.net>

* Craig Brozefsky <craig@red-bean.com>
| I think the "common sense" understanding that parens are confusing
| and intimidating to new users is utterly bogus.

  There _is_ empirical evidence that parentheses are used to mark
  something that is out of the ordinary and thus cause people to think
  of them as signs of something more complex than their absence.

| Python was/is a pedagogical tool, and it's decision to make syntax
| significant was based on that context.  It was designed to teach new
| CS students better habits for the formatting of code, by making a
| standard formatting schema mandatory.  Lisp already has
| pretty-printers and editor support for encourgaing good formatting
| habits.

  ... mumble ... languages to prove something ... mumble ... languages
  to do something ...   [If you catch the reference, don't remind me.]

#:Erik
-- 
  If this is not what you expected, please alter your expectations.