Re: The problem with programming languages

This is why tiny languages (Alan calls them POLs, I believe: problem-oriented-languages) are so important.

A language being anything that involves "communication"... including user interface interaction.

Julian

On 08/05/2012, at 8:07 PM, Clinton Daniel wrote:

> I suppose my point is that for new users, the analogies formed by
> reusing existing terms are uncertain in that you don't know which
> parts of the analogy carry across to the concept in question. Once
> you're familiar with the concept itself, you know which parts apply
> and which don't, but the point of reusing terms in the first place is
> to help in learning the concept.
> 
> If you invent a new term, you don't get the problem of inferring
> properties that don't carry across (or missing properties that aren't
> analogous), but you burden new users with finding analogies
> themselves.
> 
> In the end I agree that people are the problem, but I think we should
> make things as easy as possible to learn by using analogies where
> appropriate and inventing new terms where analogies would be
> counter-productive. Where that line rests, however, is much of what
> makes the issue difficult.
> 
> Clinton
> 
> 
> On 8 May 2012 16:13, Julian Leviston <julian@...> wrote: