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Racket is not academic to me. Racket equals programming fun and really is a joy to use. Academic seems to not convey the feeling one gets when using Racket. To

Racket is not academic to me. Racket equals programming fun and really is a joy to use. Academic seems to not convey the feeling one gets when using Racket. To me Racket is really the future of what languages will look like, a language to create your own DSL. The greatest strength of Racket is its documentation. Secondly the way Racket actually teaches you how to be a better programmer. I personally grew the most due to "How to Design Programs" https://htdp.org/2018-01-06/Book/ https://htdp.org/2018-01-06/Book/ Third the executables for cross platform is its reason why I use Racket at work. I can make it and create an executable with raco. I feel like Racket is the most general purpose language I have ever used. I grew up on C64 Assembly, Pascal and Forth. When I learned Python I felt like I could do anything. That was until I wanted my Python code to be used on a computer that wasn't my own computer. Python was my go to language for everything at work but I ended up moving to R about 6 years ago. I felt my R was rough around the edges and picked up Racket to learn about R's Scheme roots. It was a night and day difference. I have several pet programs that saves me hours every week. My Racket programs are much more readible than my Python Scripts. The libraries are certainly not all there but it is actually easy and fun to create your own implementations in Racket and a library for your own use.

JasonFruit 8y ago
I used to be very much anti-Racket, until I grasped the reality that it is not a Scheme, but a Scheme-derived language that strives to combine power and rational design. I now use it daily for many pet projects, and it is great: highly effective, predictable, well-documented, and supplied with enough libraries that you can go a while in most projects before you need to implement anything outside what is core to your purpose. The ffi isn't as bad as the article suggests, either.
JadeNB 8y ago
> Racket equals programming fun and really is a joy to use. Academic seems to not convey the feeling one gets when using Racket. As an academic, it makes me very sad to hear these qualities, that I feel describe my work, used as the opposite of 'academic'.
- notduncansmith 8y ago
  There are a wide variety of experiences to be had at the academy.
  - JadeNB 8y ago
    > There are a wide variety of experiences to be had at the academy. Agreed!—but the use of the term 'academic' in this way suggests it's a universal experience. (I've never heard anyone use 'academic' to mean exciting and invigourating intellectual exploration!) I don't argue with it, as I know that's the way language goes; it just makes me sad, and, I imagine, shapes the expectations, and then to some extent even the experiences, of my students.
- baldfat 8y ago
  I was faculty at a University and I still find the word Academic to be negative connotation and was an inaccurate statement on Racket Define - Academic 1. c: very learned but inexperienced in practical matters 1. d: based on formal study especially at an institution of higher learning 3. a: theoretical, speculative 3. b: having no practical or useful significance https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/academic https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/academic Couldn't find a positive way to spin Academic as used by the article.
  - WindowsFon4life 8y ago
    Academic as in, there are many places where the person[s] working on the code or feature abruptly stopped. As if they graduated and were no longer working on it.
    - baldfat 8y ago
      That certainly isn't the case with Racket either :)

JasonFruit 8y ago

I used to be very much anti-Racket, until I grasped the reality that it is not a Scheme, but a Scheme-derived language that strives to combine power and rational design. I now use it daily for many pet projects, and it is great: highly effective, predictable, well-documented, and supplied with enough libraries that you can go a while in most projects before you need to implement anything outside what is core to your purpose. The ffi isn't as bad as the article suggests, either.

JadeNB 8y ago

> Racket equals programming fun and really is a joy to use. Academic seems to not convey the feeling one gets when using Racket. As an academic, it makes me very sad to hear these qualities, that I feel describe my work, used as the opposite of 'academic'.

notduncansmith 8y ago
There are a wide variety of experiences to be had at the academy.
- JadeNB 8y ago
  > There are a wide variety of experiences to be had at the academy. Agreed!—but the use of the term 'academic' in this way suggests it's a universal experience. (I've never heard anyone use 'academic' to mean exciting and invigourating intellectual exploration!) I don't argue with it, as I know that's the way language goes; it just makes me sad, and, I imagine, shapes the expectations, and then to some extent even the experiences, of my students.
baldfat 8y ago
I was faculty at a University and I still find the word Academic to be negative connotation and was an inaccurate statement on Racket Define - Academic 1. c: very learned but inexperienced in practical matters 1. d: based on formal study especially at an institution of higher learning 3. a: theoretical, speculative 3. b: having no practical or useful significance https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/academic https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/academic Couldn't find a positive way to spin Academic as used by the article.
- WindowsFon4life 8y ago
  Academic as in, there are many places where the person[s] working on the code or feature abruptly stopped. As if they graduated and were no longer working on it.
  - baldfat 8y ago
    That certainly isn't the case with Racket either :)