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From: "John Duncan" <jddst19+@pitt.edu>
Subject: Re: Computer Programming for Everybody?
Date: 1999/09/13
Message-ID: <7rka1l$7j3$1@usenet01.srv.cis.pitt.edu>#1/1
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References: <7rbkm4$pn6$1@nnrp1.deja.com>
 <Pine.BSF.4.10.9909121557150.1131-100000@shell5.ba.best.com>
 <7ri1ls$1rf9@drn.newsguy.com> <1999Sep13.044659.1@eisner>
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Date: 1999-09-13T00:00:00+00:00
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Larry Kilgallen <kilgallen@eisner.decus.org> wrote in message
news:1999Sep13.044659.1@eisner...
> In article <7ri1ls$1rf9@drn.newsguy.com>, mitch@nospam.com writes:
> > In article <Pine.BSF.4.10.9909121557150.1131-100000@shell5.ba.best.com>,
Brian
> > says...
> >
> >>
> >>Better than what? Ada? Yes. Python is a lot easier to learn than Ada,
IMO.
> >>Of course, I'm not a grade-schooler :-).
> >>
> >
> > Easier to learn does not make something better :)
>
> Why is Python any better for this job than Logo ?
>
> It seems to me that the connection to physical models made Logo a
> strong contender for young children.  Am I mixing my age groups ?

I think that interactivity was one of the big stepping-stones for the
language. The problem with logo is that no one taught it right, I guess.
Kids played around for three or four years writing

TO DRAW_SQUARE SIDE
    TURTLEDOWN
    FORWARD SIDE
    RT 90
    FORWARD SIDE
    RT 90
    FORWARD SIDE
    RT 90
    FORWARD SIDE
    RT 90
    TURTLEUP

and not actually writing anything interesting. Logo was neat and
interactive, but it didn't have much relevance to kids' heads beyond
graphics. The power of the computer is outside of a little sandbox, and
python is an easy, interactive way to express yourself using that power.

Also, there was a lot of anecdotal evidence for the ease of understanding
python.

-John