On Tue, 2008-12-16 at 20:23 +0000, Andrew Coppin wrote: > 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?
If we thought up that terminology, that would be a legitimate complaint. But we didn't; we're just trying to honor our fore-bearers by using their terminology and crediting them when we use their ideas. > {-# LANGUAGE ExistentialQuantification #-} > > Hmm, now if this was Perl or something, that would be > HiddenTypeVariables or something. Much less fearsom-sounding. No, it's cute. Repulsively so. > 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... I'd like to hold out, again, for the idea that we get a higher-quality community by promoting that notion. jcc _______________________________________________ Haskell-Cafe mailing list Haskell-Cafe@haskell.org http://www.haskell.org/mailman/listinfo/haskell-cafe