Subject: Re: how does recursion work? From: Erik Naggum <erik@naggum.net> Date: 2000/10/17 Newsgroups: comp.lang.lisp Message-ID: <3180763833831754@naggum.net> * Kenny Tilton <ktilton@nyc.rr.com> | Not sure how #'b is half-pretending anything, it seems to me quite | precise to talk about calling a symbol's function--perhaps it is the | assumption of Lisp-fluency that is objectionable? You failed to recognize #'do as the example for what it is. That's pretty good for someone aspiring to sloppy. Keep it up! | Anyway, I consider my new octothorpe-free convention to be sloppy | and am grateful that the text is being read by true natural language | machines--they are so forgiving. Perhaps you should be a politician? You both lie like one and have figured out how to write nice words while being hostile. I'm sure almost nobody could see that you're seething, and they might even vote for you if you promised them something you couldn't deliver. The solution to the shift-key problem is to use a computer that has a programmable keyboard so one can no longer blame it for the ills of having to type. The X Windows System has xmodmap, I'm sure the great _innovators_ in Redmond, WA, have managed to invent something about 10% as smart after the decade we have had X. Then there's Emacs (and some other programmable editors) that can do most of the work for you, and you can even teach Emacs or X not to require the normally intrusive modifier keys as simultaneous keypresses. The key to carpal tunnel syndrome or repetitive strain disorder (which is not actually caused by repetitive strain and is a problem whose occurrence pattern in groups and areas has no medical explanation, but is related to insurance companies' willingness to entertain the victims and the media coverage of the "problems" of new technology, just like we have had similar ailments and problems with every new technology, but the victims are no doubt in real pain and do suffer) is to get a more relaxed attitude to the movements required by the body in doing the work you want to do, not to regard the movements as a hindrance and annoyance. Most patients need medication and a sympathetic group of friends or co-sufferers to acquire this relaxed attitude. Regardless of CTS or RSD, having to use the shift key to reach the parens and colon in particular are annoying to Common Lisp users. Just swap : and ;, and move () to were [] are, shift [], and move {} to where () were. Since Common Lisp has almost no use for =, swapping = and + helps, too. Additionaly, swapping ~ and ` might help unless you're writing more macros than format control strings, and so on. If your function keys are reasonably close to the top row of the keyboard proper (like Sun Type 4 keyboards), make them the shifted versions of the digit keys or something. There's just no need to play victim in pain and explain that one does stupid things to other people with reference to a medically bogus syndrome or disorder. Just do the right thing, and let the computer help you in that most worthwhile of endeavors, don't fight it as if _it_ had caused the problems. Just another helpful, constructive suggestion that is no dobut going to be read as hostile because the intended reader doesn't know how to read something for what it is and misplaces his irritation to begin with by effectively blaming # for his pain. Just get over it. #:Erik, not quite the forgiving kind of guy -- I agree with everything you say, but I would attack to death your right to say it. -- Tom Stoppard