The biggest proof of the overwhelming preference for parens can be found in the dylan programming language. Despite having M-expression syntax (in fact, the ori

The biggest proof of the overwhelming preference for parens can be found in the dylan programming language. Despite having M-expression syntax (in fact, the original spec was prefix lisp), the same CLOS object system, and even a macro system, the language has gone nowhere with lispers. More interesting is that dylan was also unpopular with ALGOL programmers. The existence of "sweet expressions" (M-expressions) allowing infix syntax in existing lisp languages further removes this as the main issue. The worst answer as to why people hate lisp is the "too many parenthesis" argument. C-style programmers are just as happy to mash 5-6 paren/curly-brace sets together in one line. The only major difference is location. For example, (if test (<result>) (<alternate>)) vs if(test){<result>}else{<alternate>}. In addition, the only reason the closing parens are on a separate line in C and the same line in lisp is convention. I suspect the biggest barrier to ANY language is having a non-C syntax style rather than infix vs prefix or parenthesis. The inertia is simply too great.