Re:Whoever does not understand Lisp is doomed to reinvent it...
by erikpukinskis on Sunday May 15, 2016 @01:38AM
(#11699602)
Because language goodness really doesn't matter that much. It's like people arguing about which car is best. Sure, a BMW can do more than a Kia, in more style. But in terms of what influences the course of human events, what usually matters is, can your car get up to the speed of traffic and continue running until you get to your destination. Everything else is just niceties.
Even the advantages in comfort don't really change much, because your expectations just adjust to whatever level of luxury and effort you are used to.
The truth is, functions, variables, and loops are an extraordinary form of magic. Being able to use those forms of magic well is an infinitely deep space of learning and growth. Maybe your language feature helps you solve a problem better, but compared to the opportunities available to you in terms of just becoming a better programmer, it's a comparatively small opportunity.
For example, knowing when to put away your primary language and use a special purpose one (and when not to) is an ability that can improve your productivity 1000x. I don't think there are any language features that can come close to it.
Compounding this, every time you use a unique language feature, you incur readability costs, and portability costs. The more control structures you put into your toolbox, the more choices you have to consider every time you read and write code. That cuts into whatever wins these fancy control structure provide.
Even the advantages in comfort don't really change much, because your expectations just adjust to whatever level of luxury and effort you are used to.
The truth is, functions, variables, and loops are an extraordinary form of magic. Being able to use those forms of magic well is an infinitely deep space of learning and growth. Maybe your language feature helps you solve a problem better, but compared to the opportunities available to you in terms of just becoming a better programmer, it's a comparatively small opportunity.
For example, knowing when to put away your primary language and use a special purpose one (and when not to) is an ability that can improve your productivity 1000x. I don't think there are any language features that can come close to it.
Compounding this, every time you use a unique language feature, you incur readability costs, and portability costs. The more control structures you put into your toolbox, the more choices you have to consider every time you read and write code. That cuts into whatever wins these fancy control structure provide.