Bizarre Story

[ramsdell%linus@mitre-bedford.ARPA]

Dick writes:
>...  The Common Lisp group tried to think of ways of trademarking ``Lisp''
>or ``Common Lisp'' but we are way, way too late.

Can we trademark the name ``Scheme''?  I do not think it is too late
for that.

--------------------------
On the subject of confusing Scheme with Common Lisp, I follow the
practice of never mentioning Lisp while talking about Scheme unless
the person I am talking to asks about Scheme's relation to Lisp.  This
practice avoids the AI baggage, as well as any negative impressions
the person has of Lisp.  Of course, disowning our connection to Lisp
would be like disowning one's parents, but I see no need to tie our
fortunes to Lisp's.  Thus I strongly oppose the idea of expanding
X3J13 to cover both Lisp and Scheme.  If we choose to standardize
Scheme, let's do it independently of efforts to standardize other
dialects of Lisp.
John