> A very practical reason for preferring functional programming in a freshman course is that most students already have a certain familiarity with imperative pr

> A very practical reason for preferring functional programming in a freshman course is that most students already have a certain familiarity with imperative programming. Facing them with the novelty of functional programming immediately drives home the message that there is more to programming than they thought. While later on, he does gripe about language quality, I think this is the most salient point of that letter. It touches upon IMO one of the most misunderstood things about Computer Science- it's a science curriculum, not a vocational school. The best (only?) way to build practical skills is doing practical things and learning through experience. Computer Science is more about rigorous reasoning about programs and their mathematical properties. While learning about practical things like building web apps is fine and well, universities are not well equipped for this sort of vocational curriculum. They are primarily institutions optimized for performing scientific research.