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This is an essay that the Mole rereads fairly regularly. The experience is always unnerving: some parts are obviously right, some are obviously wrong, but which category any particular part falls into is seldom the same from one reading to the next. Regardless of which side of the debate you choose (or, if you are like the Mole, both and neither) the issues are well worth considering.
Richard Gabriel seems to be an example of a very particular type, the frustrated LISPer. The Mole finds the type quite fascinating: they're very smart, quite provocative, absolutely fascinating, and just faintly askew. Other notable examples include Paul Graham and Peter Seibel.