[erlang-questions] Erlang 3000?

[Valentin Micic]

A natural question at this point (at least for me) would be: Why do we want to change the language? I'll dare to put forward a view that claims that there is *nothing wrong with ERLANG*. My justification for this view is as follows:

 

If you use ERLANG as much as I do, sooner or later you have to realize that it is far easier. well, if not easier than - profitable and more useful; therefore, far better, to change oneself than the language. It is true: whenever I hit the wall, all I had to do was to think a bit differently (*) and I'd be on a high ground again.

 

So, why indeed do we try to change the language? If the goal is to make it a better, we should stick to what worked so far - gradual evolution as opposed to change-the-syntax-and-everything-but-vm-revolution. 

 

If the purpose is to gain the "masses" (**), as I understood it once, well, no amount of changes to the language will help. For that one just need money and marketing - hence lots of money. 

 

BR.

V.

 

(*) Mind you, in some other environments (say, languages, run-times, etc.) no amount of thinking differently would help.

 

(**) Or critical mass, which is, IMHO, just euphemism for masses.



----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Robert Virding 
  To: Steve Davis 
  Cc: erlang-questions@REDACTED 
  Sent: Sunday, November 16, 2008 4:51 AM
  Subject: Re: [erlang-questions] Erlang 3000?


  2008/11/16 Steve Davis <steven.charles.davis@REDACTED>


    On Nov 15, 6:07 pm, Zvi <ex...@REDACTED> wrote:
    > What you suggesting can be divided into 2 tasks:
    > 1. New language spec
    > 2. New standard library


    Of course 1.is vastly harder than 2.

    My estimate is that writing and getting consensus on 1 would indeed
    take until 3000AD.

  At least! :-) Seriously I don't think you can aim for complete consensus, you will never get it. You need to start out with some form of rationale which lays down the basic ideas/principles for the new erlang, and explains the reasons behind them. This is something which, unfortunately, we never did.

  Once this is done it is easier to design and develop the system.

  Robert




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