what affects programming language adoption?

[Shae Matijs Erisson]

Kragen Javier Sitaker <kragen at pobox.com> writes:

> I was only trying to explain how they became widely adopted in the first
> place, not how they survived afterwards.  Your comments on how those two have
> survived are insightful and interesting as usual, but I think the biggest
> factor is that gobs of code already exist.

I suggest that programming languages are adopted primarily because of
charismatic people who advertise them. I think that the technical quality of a
language is less important than the community around that language.

I think that people matter more than technology where technology is concerned.

I've probably referred to this paper already on this list:
http://alistair.cockburn.us/index.php/Characterizing_people_as_non-linear,_first-order_components_in_software_development
-- 
I've tried to teach people autodidactism,                | ScannedInAvian.com
but it seems they always have to learn it for themselves.| Shae Matijs Erisson
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