Could we add a forum category called "bikeshedding about syntax" so the rest of us can skip over it? To address the OP, it's amazing how much navel gazing goes on in programming communities. The meta discussions about language popularity aren't that much different than how middle school kids obsessively talk about social popularity.
My suggestion is to build things and let the rest fall into place. It is not uncommon for individuals with a strong vision and a sharp set of tools to outdo enormous competitors. My favorite quote from @Araq is this: "Understand that not having Google's or Mozilla's resources behind a project can be a strength - creativity is often the result of constraints."
