Comment by plafl
8 years ago
I was drawn to python because of the culture (simple, documentation) and I stay because of the libraries (machine learning, scientific). The language just needs to be better than Matlab or R (not Scheme, Clojure, Scala or pick your favorite one). As in nature the language that thrives is the fittest for its environment, not the most powerful.
> As in nature the language that thrives is the fittest for its environment, not the most powerful.
Now, this is an important observation, but it needs one caveat - "fittest for its environment" != "fittest for the stated purpose". I.e. an objectively better tool may lose to a tool that's barely good enough, but e.g. provides a better CYA for managers, in a self-reinforcing loop of popularity.
That's the essence of Worse is Better - shit that's barely good enough will outcompete proper solutions.
(For many, that essay seems to be an ideal to follow; for me personally, it's just the description of the sad state of reality that we need to learn to work around.)
> As in nature the language that thrives is the fittest for its environment, not the most powerful.
Now hold on. The most successful sprog of nature is humanity[citation needed] and we're a case study in the fact that raw intelligence is more effective than fitness for any particular niche. So: as in nature, there may be a bunch of niche languages, but in time they'll find themselves with a conservation status while a smart language rules the earth.
So tell me, how is it that Python and JavaScript now seem to rule the Earth, instead of being locked up in a nature reserve?
When programming languages evolve, "can a human being understand this code?" is part of the fitness function, and more succinct and powerful languages aren't always best for that.