<p>I have experimented with Lisp (actually Scheme) and found it to be a very beautiful language that I am interested in learning more about.  However, it appears that Lisp is never used in serious projects, and I haven't seen it listed as a desired skill on any job posting.  I am interested in hearing from anyone who has used Lisp or seen it used in the "real world", or who knows whether it is considered a purely academic language.</p>

If I started up my very own major software project now, I would make my language decision based on the criteria above. Sure, I love Lisp, CLOS is awesome, real lexical scoping rocks, Lisp macros are way cool (when used as directed), and personally I really like Lisp syntax. […] But it would take a lot, or require special circumstances, to persuade me to choose Lisp for a major software project, if I were in charge of making the choice. -
Dan Weinreb