>>> I think to some part this reflects the fact that, well, Javascript was not really intended to be a platform to be compiled against, it is just used that way

>>> I think to some part this reflects the fact that, well, Javascript was not really intended to be a platform to be compiled against, it is just used that way because it is the only platform in the browser. I'm not so sure this is the case as it is VERY easy to get started with CoffeeScript and have it watch files for changes (at least on a mac with homebrew). I've experienced general difficulty getting started with Clojure compared to something like Python or CoffeeScript. I suppose I haven't spent considerable time on it (Clojure is just a hobby for now) but the problems I've run into so far are an out of date version on homebrew (1.2 rather than 1.3) and difficulty just getting a usable REPL going (where I can edit lines and use the up-arrow). I'm very attracted to the aesthetics of Clojure but there is so much friction just to get started that I've only been using 4clojure (try-clojure has been non-functional every time I've tried it). I think this is an area that definitely needs to be addressed for Clojure/ClojureScript to get the mainstream traction that node.js/JS/CS enjoy.