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Some quibbling here in the comments about whether Pike uses the right definition of "simple". There is of course a context to Pike's notion of the word: > The

Some quibbling here in the comments about whether Pike uses the right definition of "simple". There is of course a context to Pike's notion of the word: > The key point here is our programmers are Googlers [...] They’re not capable of understanding a brilliant language but we want to use them to build good software. So, the language that we give them has to be easy for them to understand and easy to adopt. http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Lang-NEXT/Lang-NEXT-2014/From-Parallel-to-Concurrent http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Lang-NEXT/Lang-NEXT-2014/Fro...

knucklesandwich 11y ago
That quote is a hilariously denigrating claim to make of your coworkers. Even if it were true (which I don't believe for a second), you've created a language released to the community at large. Your users are not just google engineers. If you want to encourage broader acceptance of your language, you're going to need to make a good faith attempt to listen to their requests.
- emmelaich 11y ago
  I think that it would be taken in the spirit it was intended. Programming is hard. (even when you take into account https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hofstadter%27s_law https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hofstadter%27s_law) Also, I'm pretty sure the "brilliant" is meant somewhat sardonically.
  - knucklesandwich 11y ago
    If this is all tongue-in-cheek then what does it really amount to though? A good-natured ribbing of Google employees? I'm in total agreement that programming is hard, but I don't think it's hard because of languages that pack in features, its hard because of languages that don't ensure reasonable semantics or provide you the tools to enforce them. Programming is hard because its inherently powerful... languages that allow you to circumscribe that power are what keeps me sane though, not particularly the ones you can fit on an index card.
pjmlp 11y ago
Which is hilarious given Google´s hiring processes. Any genius that is able to invert binary trees on whiteboards, count the balls on a vending machine, do a C++ compiler course, describe the random code in a magazine, .... Can surely cope with a modern programming language.
- eronhp 11y ago
  I think it was meant as jab on the audience and the general public, more like "Not even google engineers can appreciate a brilliant language, so who the hell you think you are?"
  - pjmlp 11y ago
    Actually I think they do outsource a lot and those are the actual target audience, when reading between the lines of statements like "having junior devs straight out of school" or the quality of the Android tooling.
  - throwaway999888 11y ago
    In which case it is even more arrogant.

knucklesandwich 11y ago

That quote is a hilariously denigrating claim to make of your coworkers. Even if it were true (which I don't believe for a second), you've created a language released to the community at large. Your users are not just google engineers. If you want to encourage broader acceptance of your language, you're going to need to make a good faith attempt to listen to their requests.

emmelaich 11y ago
I think that it would be taken in the spirit it was intended. Programming is hard. (even when you take into account https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hofstadter%27s_law https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hofstadter%27s_law) Also, I'm pretty sure the "brilliant" is meant somewhat sardonically.
- knucklesandwich 11y ago
  If this is all tongue-in-cheek then what does it really amount to though? A good-natured ribbing of Google employees? I'm in total agreement that programming is hard, but I don't think it's hard because of languages that pack in features, its hard because of languages that don't ensure reasonable semantics or provide you the tools to enforce them. Programming is hard because its inherently powerful... languages that allow you to circumscribe that power are what keeps me sane though, not particularly the ones you can fit on an index card.

pjmlp 11y ago

Which is hilarious given Google´s hiring processes. Any genius that is able to invert binary trees on whiteboards, count the balls on a vending machine, do a C++ compiler course, describe the random code in a magazine, .... Can surely cope with a modern programming language.

eronhp 11y ago
I think it was meant as jab on the audience and the general public, more like "Not even google engineers can appreciate a brilliant language, so who the hell you think you are?"
- pjmlp 11y ago
  Actually I think they do outsource a lot and those are the actual target audience, when reading between the lines of statements like "having junior devs straight out of school" or the quality of the Android tooling.
- throwaway999888 11y ago
  In which case it is even more arrogant.