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The single biggest factor in Go's popularity is that google is pushing it. Then I'd say concurrency, native compilation, static linking... The simplicity of i

The single biggest factor in Go's popularity is that google is pushing it. Then I'd say concurrency, native compilation, static linking... The simplicity of its language constructs is IMHO one reason why Go is not more popular. The point seems moot anyway. Go is mostly used by experienced programmers, usually havong experience in other, richer languages.

zachmu 3y ago
Go is a language made for people doing systems programming who like static typing. Compared to popular alternatives like C# and Java, Go is a breath of fresh air.
- The_Colonel 3y ago
  Go was intended for systems programming, but is rarely used for that. (Java and C# don't compete in that area at all)
  - marcosdumay 3y ago
    Go is marketed as being designed for system programming. But all of its features seem to be designed for web services.
  - kaba0 3y ago
    Go has a stupid definition of “system programming”. It uses it to mean “low-level network stuff”, and absolutely not as something where low-level languages would fit.
  - neonsunset 3y ago
    Don't bundle C# with Java in this area. It is way more low-level. Give it a try and it will surprise you :)
- kaba0 3y ago
  In what way is an objectively more verbose language than C# and Java a “breath of fresh air”? Especially one so badly designed with gotchas everywhere (defer being function scoped, they even got loop captures bad at first, when that was a well known problem 50(!) years ago, etc)
- bruce343434 3y ago
  What exactly is "systems programming"? I thought that had to do with manipulating hardware? Usually Java and C# are more associated with application programming...
  - harkinian 3y ago
    Not sure of any official definition, but it usually means that you're creating a system that applications made by other people will be built on top of. For example, writing Postgres or NodeJS is doing systems programming, writing a web backend atop those two isn't.

zachmu 3y ago

Go is a language made for people doing systems programming who like static typing. Compared to popular alternatives like C# and Java, Go is a breath of fresh air.

The_Colonel 3y ago
Go was intended for systems programming, but is rarely used for that. (Java and C# don't compete in that area at all)
- marcosdumay 3y ago
  Go is marketed as being designed for system programming. But all of its features seem to be designed for web services.
- kaba0 3y ago
  Go has a stupid definition of “system programming”. It uses it to mean “low-level network stuff”, and absolutely not as something where low-level languages would fit.
- neonsunset 3y ago
  Don't bundle C# with Java in this area. It is way more low-level. Give it a try and it will surprise you :)
kaba0 3y ago
In what way is an objectively more verbose language than C# and Java a “breath of fresh air”? Especially one so badly designed with gotchas everywhere (defer being function scoped, they even got loop captures bad at first, when that was a well known problem 50(!) years ago, etc)
bruce343434 3y ago
What exactly is "systems programming"? I thought that had to do with manipulating hardware? Usually Java and C# are more associated with application programming...
- harkinian 3y ago
  Not sure of any official definition, but it usually means that you're creating a system that applications made by other people will be built on top of. For example, writing Postgres or NodeJS is doing systems programming, writing a web backend atop those two isn't.