> For example in order to use a number as argument of a string manipulation function, there is to convert from one type to the other.

ah yes, the coercion of everything into everything that depends on order of application. best feature ever.

another "gem":

> many thinks like HTML, XML, Networking Protocols, are about strings more than they are about lists

all these things are about a very structured often deeply nested pieces of data. pretty much a direct opposite of the string type.