[olug] [OT] New Language for the Year

[Kevin Lanik]

I think this sounds like a great idea, count me in...
 Kevin
 Lanik


--- Mike Hostetler <thehaas at binary.net> wrote:
> 
> Disregard this message if you are not a programmer, or not interested
> in
> learning an obscure language -- you will only receive this once.
> 
> I'm a big fan of the book "The Pragmatic Programmer", and it has
> changed how
> I have thought about programming, and has got me creating better
> programs.
> One of the things they mentioned in the book is learning a new
> language
> every year. The idea is that, even though you may not use the new
> language
> professionally, you can take concepts of that language and apply it
> to the
> ones you use day-to-day.  Even though I haven't done this, I think it
> has
> great merit -- I had a job that I worked with XSLT's every day.  Now,
> even
> though I don't do that, some of the pure functional ideas of XSLT has
> enabled me to write better Python apps (which is what I am doing
> now).
> 
> As an offshoot of this, a bunch of developers started a "Language of
> the
> Year" (LotY) study group.  It has an email list
>  (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pragprog/) and a Wiki
>
(http://www.pragmaticprogrammer.com/cgi-local/pragprog?LanguageOfTheYear).
> And they just talk about it on the internet, post on the Wiki and
> it's cool.
> But I think it would be neat to do this on a local level -- have the
> mailing
> list, the Wiki, but get together once a month or a few times a year
> and talk
> about it, network, workshop and learn a little.
> 
> So this is my call -- who wants to join me??  If we can get at least
> three or
> four others, I'd say we do it.  We can start on January 1, 2003, but
> we have
> to choose a language, get the list setup, etc.
> 
> A few caveats, though:
>    o you really ought to be somewhat experienced.  The rest of the
> group
> shouldn't have to teach you basic OOP concepts, etc.
>    o the language should be somewhat obscure. We don't want to teach
> people Perl,
> Python, or PHP.  I'm thinking most like Haskell, Oz, OCaml, etc.
>    o even though it is obscure, it needs to be actively developed and
> have
> good online tutorials (a good printed book wouldn't be bad either).
> 
> If you want to join me, reply back and we'll get going.  If you know
> someone
> who may be interested, and lives in the LNK-OMA area, feel free to
> forward
> them this message.
> 
> over and out,
> 
> -- mikeh
> 
> --
> Mike Hostetler
> thehaas at binary.net
> http://www.binary.net/thehaas
> GnuPG key: http://www.binary.net/thehaas/mikeh.gpg
> 
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