From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Received: (from majordomo@localhost) by pauillac.inria.fr (8.7.6/8.7.3) id SAA26487; Wed, 12 Mar 2003 18:40:18 +0100 (MET) X-Authentication-Warning: pauillac.inria.fr: majordomo set sender to owner-caml-list@pauillac.inria.fr using -f Received: from nez-perce.inria.fr (nez-perce.inria.fr [192.93.2.78]) by pauillac.inria.fr (8.7.6/8.7.3) with ESMTP id SAA26574 for ; Wed, 12 Mar 2003 18:40:17 +0100 (MET) X-SPAM-Warning: Sending machine is listed in blackholes.five-ten-sg.com Received: from web41607.mail.yahoo.com (web41607.mail.yahoo.com [66.218.93.107]) by nez-perce.inria.fr (8.11.1/8.11.1) with SMTP id h2CHeGX28993 for ; Wed, 12 Mar 2003 18:40:16 +0100 (MET) Message-ID: <20030312174015.97040.qmail@web41607.mail.yahoo.com> Received: from [64.0.151.188] by web41607.mail.yahoo.com via HTTP; Wed, 12 Mar 2003 09:40:15 PST Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 09:40:15 -0800 (PST) From: isaac gouy Subject: Re: [Caml-list] OCaml popularity To: caml-list@inria.fr MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Spam: no; 0.00; gouy:01 igouy:01 caml-list:01 debugging:01 ocaml:01 mainstream:01 business:96 install:06 advocates:07 milner:07 isaac:08 hosting:91 something:09 language:10 running:10 Sender: owner-caml-list@pauillac.inria.fr Precedence: bulk Why isn't X more popular? Why isn't X mainstream? Such fascinating questions! The many answers often have as much to do with the specific history of a language, as they do with language features or design. Then there's philosophy- 'There are many ways of trying to understand programs. People often rely too much on one way, which is called "debugging" and consists of running a partly-understood program to see if it does what you expected. Another way, which ML advocates, is to install some means of understanding in the very programs themselves.' Robin Milner, preface to The Little MLer. It's the immediate-gratification of getting "something" to work (and then making it the "right something") versus the deferred-pleasure of knowing that you will have a "correct" program. best wishes, Isaac __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Web Hosting - establish your business online http://webhosting.yahoo.com ------------------- To unsubscribe, mail caml-list-request@inria.fr Archives: http://caml.inria.fr Bug reports: http://caml.inria.fr/bin/caml-bugs FAQ: http://caml.inria.fr/FAQ/ Beginner's list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ocaml_beginners