When did you first try Lisp seriously, and which Lisp family member was it?

January 1998: "Learn Lisp" was one of four New Year's Resolutions. The other three included "learn to drive" (only took another 4 years to get around to), "learn German" (still haven't) and something else I can't even remember.

That was CMUCL. My first program was a toy web server

In 2005 my resolutions will include "write down all future New Year's Resolutions".

What led you to try Lisp?

I could blame it all on the supervisor for my fourth year project at University. This involved writing a CSE phase for a SPARC compiler backend implemented in Caml Light, and pretty much opened my eyes to the possibility of writing real(sic) programs in other-than-C. Not that he should shoulder any of the blame for what happened subsequently: that's all my own fault.

But perhaps I should also give a nod in the direction of the Unix-Haters Handbook, which I read at around the same time. Although as a fully paid-up Linux weenie I disgreed with almost every point it made, it did at least entertain me - so, when I started looking around for alternatives to Unix, it was probably thanks to this book that I knew about the previous Golden Age.

Fast forward 12 months or so to my first job, and after trying one too many times when using Perl to put one list inside another and be surprised by having it flattened, I sent off for the Allegro CL trial CD.

(For Perl hackers reading this: yes, I do know about references now)

How far have you gotten in your study of Lisp?

• I know too much about pathnames and not enough about eval-when.

• I know more about SBCL's signal handling code than any sane person should have to (so that's OK then).

• I don't know how to create a successful one-man consulting business based on hacking free CL implementations, but the missing ingredient there is probably not Lisp-related.

What do you think of Lisp so far?

It's still my favourite programming language (Perl is my second favourite, which may be heretical in these circles, but there you are). But I do wish that more Lisp users would realise that "Worse is better" was a call to action, not an excuse to roll over and die.