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People always underestimate how much the aesthetics of things actually matter. Language adoption is a numbers game and good marketing matters. This is why Lisp

People always underestimate how much the aesthetics of things actually matter. Language adoption is a numbers game and good marketing matters. This is why Lisp never won. However powerful and elegant it may be, Lisp syntax is downright ugly. The exact same thing happens with Haskell. However amazing the language is, its freaking unapproachable and the syntax is - like the OP says, weird.

Zababa 5y ago
It's impressive to have people say that Lisp is "downright ugly" and Haskell is "freaking unapproachable and the syntax is weird" on an article that includes C++ templates. It's not the "aesthetics" that matters, it's the popularity and what you're used to. Part of the reason why Rust is popular is that they didn't break too much people's habit, and even with that it constantly gets flak for its syntax.
- Jensson 5y ago
  C++ template programming isn't very popular either so that wasn't a very good counter example.
  - Zababa 5y ago
    It is very popular compared to Lisp or Haskell.
wudangmonk 5y ago
I didn't want to comment about looks because it wouldn't add anything to the discussion but since we are talking about looks I just can't get over how ugly c++ templates are. I will even admit that the only reason I never gave Rust a chance was because it reminded me too much of this type of angle bracket monstrosity.