Thanks R.E. Boss, You raise a really good point and one that I actually have given a fair amount of thought. I guess it is obvious by the things that I have and will work on that I came to a different conclusion than you did, but that does not mean that I think that your concerns are unwarranted.
I do think that the steep/shallow/long/high learning curve of J has at times selected out those who did not have the persistence to rearrange their mental constructs to use this new tool of thought. My concern is that while I know what the people who did persevere have contributed to this community, I can't know the contributions we have lost because people did not have the time or energy to make the journey. Sam Clemens was a riverboat pilot who understood that it was easier to transport goods by boat than it was by horse. Mark Twain was the name that he took as an American satirist and since he did not write in Greek , I would assume that, in addition to making a living, he probably wanted 'stupid people' to become wiser by having read his writing. In this way the quote you used could have a double meaning of spurring the less wise to become wiser. I think wisdom is the essential ingredient that we do not wish to lose by making the language more accessible. As I write this I watch the Olympic games, where athletes use new materials, training methods and nutrition to achieve results that could not have been reached even a few years ago. I also think that the ethics of some of the athletes may have suffered because it is 'easier' to become skilled, but recently I watched Shawn White finish out of the medals and walk over to the gold medalist and give him a great big hug of congratulations. We need to work to keep that goodness in our game, even as we make it more accessible. Cheers, bob On Feb 16, 2014, at 3:21 AM, R.E. Boss <r.e.b...@planet.nl> wrote: > Let me be the odd one out and disagree with those who want J in 5 minutes or > presenting different types of nouns in different colors or formats. > > IMHO the steep learning curve of J is very useful (and, who knows, > intended), it selects the right kind of people. That's how evolution works. > To paraphrase Mark Twain: "If we try to convince stupid people, they will > drag us down to their level and beat us by experience". > So let's not try to make learning J easier, we will end up simplifying the > language to a level we don't want. > > And for people who want to teach J to kids, read > http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-gaming-could-be-the-future-of- > education/ > > > R.E. Boss > > (Add your info to http://www.jsoftware.com/jwiki/Community/Demographics ) > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
