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From: "John R. Strohm" <strohm@airmail.net>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Subject: Re: Why is Ada a good choice for an ambitious beginner to programming
Date: Sat, 4 Jan 2003 21:57:46 -0600
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"David Wright" <davidw@uq.net.au> wrote in message
news:av84j8$lef$1@bunyip.cc.uq.edu.au...
> For example, a very recent newbie post in
> comp.programming, asking about which language to start
> with, received a reply suggesting Common Lisp! How
> ridiculous! A beginning programmer and Lisp! Where are
> the *beginner* resources for such a language. Of
> course, it's possible - anything is, but I think
> experienced programmers forget what a *newcomer* needs
> to stay motivated. Sure, Lisp as a second programming
> language, but for heavens sake!

Common LISP is not such a good choice: it is baroque and barnacle-encrusted.
Scheme, on the other hand, is small, clean, and a quite reasonable choice
for a first language.

MIT uses Scheme in the first-semester freshman programming course.  See
"Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs", by Abelson and Sussman.