Malcolm Wallace wrote:
Andrew Coppin <andrewcop...@btinternet.com> wrote:
To him, apparently, the current logo says "Haskell is all
about arcane and obscure mathematical constructs. In fact, we think
that complicated mathematics is so good that we stuffed our logo full
of it. If you don't like hard math, don't even bother trying to learn
this language."
I think he got the right idea (kind of). To him, mathematics is arcane,
but to Haskellers it is the fundamental basis of computation. If
someone is not prepared to invest in learning the foundations of the
subject of Computer Science, then they have no business becoming a
programmer.
We really must get away from the idea that programming is something any
old fool should be able to pick up. Programming correct software is
hard, and it requires a mathematical mind.
I think the accusation is more that Haskell tries to be cryptic and
arcane *on purpose*, just to confuse people.
Sure, there are many concepts in Haskell which just aren't found
anywhere else. But monads? Catamorphisms? Coroutines? Couldn't we think
up some less intimidating terminology?
{-# LANGUAGE ExistentialQuantification #-}
Hmm, now if this was Perl or something, that would be
HiddenTypeVariables or something. Much less fearsom-sounding.
But then, I guess that's what you get for a lanuage designed by a
committee of university professors. ;-)
At any rate, if we're to have a logo, let's not have one which actively
*promotes* the notion that Haskell is complex and difficult and that
only theoretical physicists need apply...
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