Reducing syntax noise can theoretically make code easier to read and write. I personally don't go for that approach, but others swear by it and if it increases

Reducing syntax noise can theoretically make code easier to read and write. I personally don't go for that approach, but others swear by it and if it increases their productivity and makes them happier then that's a good thing. Optimizing performance and making writing/managing code easier are two different problems and not mutually exclusive. Code written in Snow can then be optimized with HipHop.