ÿþ 

- First name: Carl

 

- Last name: Trachte

 

- Email address: REMOVED

 

- Phone number(s):

 

- Postal code: 85540

 

- City: Morenci

 

- State or province: Arizona

 

- Country: USA

 

- Organization(s) you work for or study at

  (please supply the name and city for each organization):Phelps

Dodge

 

- Fields of interest

  (e.g. computer linguistics, numerical analysis, business software,

   medicine, bioinformatics):

mineral mining applications; geometry (rock volumes, mineral content, etc.)

 

- Have you written any Lisp-related papers? If so, please supply

  bibliographical references (and URL's, if possible).

 

- Have you developed or participated in the development of any

  Lisp-related programs or libraries? If so, please supply a URL,

  if possible.

 

- Lisp variants you have used (e.g. Common Lisp, Scheme, Dylan):

AutoLISP

 

- Lisp variants you're currently using or intend to use in the

  near future:

Common Lisp

 

- Lisp implementations you have used

  (e.g. CMUCL, Lispworks, Allegro Common Lisp): 

GCL, CMUCL

 

- Lisp implementations you're currently using or intend to use

  in the near future:

GCL, CMUCL

 

- Computer platforms on which you're using or deploying Lisp:

Linux, Windows (these are actually os's, but I thought that's what

you meant by "platform")

 

- Number of years of experience with Lisp: 

4 (very superficial)

 

- Experience with other programming languages (please supply the

  number of years and the name of the language):

Python: 4



Visual Basic: 6



C: 2



Fortran: 3

 

- Total number of years of programming experience:

5

 

- Do you use Lisp:

  - at work (if so, how much)

to edit pre-written scripts (starting a new cut in the mine pit; changing a file's path etc.)

  - for study (if so, how much)

  - as a hobby (if so, how much)

working through Graham's ANSI common LISP

 

- Are you using Lisp as much as you would like to? No

  If not, why not?

The syntax and approach take some getting used to; once I know the language, 

I know I'll program solutions at work faster, but I can't spend all day learning LISP.

 

- Do you see any obstacles to further Lisp growth (if so, what

  is the biggest obstacle in your opinion)?

The general opinion that it's an antiquated (spelling?) or dead language.

My boss wants us, as time allots, to purge our department of all of our

old AutoCAD LISP scripts because they're ancient and obsolete (even though

they still work).  I've programmed AutoCAD in Visual Basic.  Having learned

a bit of LISP, I think LISP is actually the more productive and powerful

alternative.

 

- Would you be interested in a Lisp-related job or contract work?

Actually, I'd be happiest if I could use LISP in my current job.

 

- Is your organization interested in hiring Lisp programmers?

It's interested in hiring AutoCAD technicians who know enough

LISP to work with old scripts.

 

- Are you currently participating in Lisp-related meetings?

Not really.  I subscribe to the Cologne, Germany LISPers e-mail group, but

I've never written until now.

  If so, where and how often?

  If not, would you be interested in such meetings?

Not until I get more confident with the language.

 

- Do you know any other Lispers who might be willing to fill in

  this questionnaire (please supply their names and email-addresses

  if you do)?

REMOVED

 

- Do you know people who may be interested in learning Lisp

  (please supply their names and email-addresses if you do)?