Re:Why your F# evangelism isn't working
by FrustratedMonky on Wednesday May 31, 2023 @08:56AM
(#36137804)
This seems to be implying that F# programmers do 'poorly' because the language 'protects' them. But, isn't that good? Why have a language that purposely tries to trip you(dynamic), and you are a 'good' programmer if you don't get tripped. This seems to be rewarding people that are good at using a bad language. Since if you are using F# you don't learn the techniques for using other bad languages, doesn't make that programmer bad, it just means F# is more seamless.
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Indeed, I’m suggesting an alternative explanation for the given observations based around the absence of a strong selection criteria bias. I’m of the strong opinion that F# is a great language and that people of different levels of skills can be productive in it. As opposed to a C++/lisp combo where only the most careful programmers get to keep both of their feet.
F# is a slice through the language design space that optimizes for developer productivity, other languages with different design choices are optimized and are indeed better for other things.
I think there is a benefit to learning learning ‘bad’ languages as they teach you about the different design trade offs that are available. A person with dynamic programming language experience would have known that the given JSON task was tractable without types and not started the task with a ‘type all the things’ mentality.