I agree on a few points and also disagree on some. I agree that javascript is very easy to get started with. The syntax is similar enough with other languages

I agree on a few points and also disagree on some. I agree that javascript is very easy to get started with. The syntax is similar enough with other languages (C, Java) such that you could just into one of them easily after a bit of experience with javascript. It's also very easy, as you said, to actually DO something with it. You don't have to import 500 libraries to draw a line on the screen or make highly interactive (or even beautiful) interfaces. Javascript is also somewhat close to lisp in its functionality. That being said, I feel as though learning javascript first is putting the carriage before the horse. If someone is learning to program, I believe it's best they start off learning the basics. The idea is to learn the concepts behind mathematical thought...to learn the rules, and then learn to break them. I think someone who learned javascript first would know how to do things great in javascript, but not necessarily any other languages. They would know how to program interactions, but not necessarily how to program in general. Another thing to keep in mind is that javascript is highly concurrent. You almost can't do anything in it without dealing with layers of events interacting with each other. This could be confusing and detrimental to someone who's just beginning to learn. I'd argue it's best to start with C/assembly for a low-level view of how computer work, and then afterwards lisp and perhaps javascript for higher mathematical programming.