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C++ was designed in the late '70s-early 80's and reached peak popularity in the mid-to-late '90s. JavaScript appeared in the mid-'90s and didn't see broad adopt

C++ was designed in the late '70s-early 80's and reached peak popularity in the mid-to-late '90s. JavaScript appeared in the mid-'90s and didn't see broad adoption until about the '10s. I would say that the norm is for peak adoption to happen at around the 10-15 year mark of original release. Languages that get adopted faster than 7 years are unusual, and it indicates that they came out at highly opportune times to address specific needs. I'm thinking in particular of Java and Rust, for example, which both reached critical masses of adoption very quickly.

pron 4y ago
C++ was released in 1985 and it neared its peak market share by much closer than a ballpark in its first decade. JS did the same. > Languages that get adopted faster than 7 years are unusual, and it indicates that they came out at highly opportune times to address specific needs. Not only is it not unusual, over hundreds of languages I think there has really been one exception (for 10 years; maybe not 7). At age 10 how well a language does is more or less how well it's ever going to do. I am not saying this is a prediction, but it has been the case historically with almost no exceptions. Any language has the chance to buck this trend, but it has been the trend.
- fluoridation 4y ago
  JS took well over 10 years to reach massive popularity. C++ took a bit over 10.
  - pron 4y ago
    That's a definite no on either one. JS was very popular (top 5-10) in 2006 and C++ was very close to its peak popularity in 1995 (and already declining five years later). Maybe Ruby took 11 years, but that's close enough. Over scores or even hundreds of languages, I think Python is the only clear exception. It wasn't unpopular in 2005 (it was in the top 20), but it certainly moved up a rank from middling popularity to super-popularity well after 10 years old.

pron 4y ago

C++ was released in 1985 and it neared its peak market share by much closer than a ballpark in its first decade. JS did the same. > Languages that get adopted faster than 7 years are unusual, and it indicates that they came out at highly opportune times to address specific needs. Not only is it not unusual, over hundreds of languages I think there has really been one exception (for 10 years; maybe not 7). At age 10 how well a language does is more or less how well it's ever going to do. I am not saying this is a prediction, but it has been the case historically with almost no exceptions. Any language has the chance to buck this trend, but it has been the trend.

fluoridation 4y ago
JS took well over 10 years to reach massive popularity. C++ took a bit over 10.
- pron 4y ago
  That's a definite no on either one. JS was very popular (top 5-10) in 2006 and C++ was very close to its peak popularity in 1995 (and already declining five years later). Maybe Ruby took 11 years, but that's close enough. Over scores or even hundreds of languages, I think Python is the only clear exception. It wasn't unpopular in 2005 (it was in the top 20), but it certainly moved up a rank from middling popularity to super-popularity well after 10 years old.