Jesse Sng wrote:
"So xTalk is not a real language, but it can be used to build real
applications. Hmmm....."
The only way anyone can describe xTalk as not being a 'real' language is if one
adheres to an incredibly narrow definition of what constitutes a language.
It reminds me of the dispute about sign-languages used by deaf people -
some academic (who should have known better) stated that sign-languages are
not real languages because they don't use sound! This is palpable rubbish; were
it true these electronically coded bits of stuff that I am belting into my
computer at
the moment would not be language either!
This whole debate revolves around an all too common phenomenon that comes
about as a result of human egoism and insecurity:
Become an expert and then rubbish anyone who challenges you in your field.
Of course xTalk is a family of closely related computer languages
(and I wrote at greater length and greater pomposity about this in my MSc thesis
which is available for download at my Yahoo group - so if you have a rainy day
and nothing better to do with yourself . . .), and the word 'real' is
essentially
a meaningless token in this context.
Probably the best response to any stuffed-shirts who state that xTalk is not
a real computer language (presumably the corollary of that argument is that
it is a "fake" language - see what I mean?) is for one of the better
programmers in
our community to develop a website that searches for xTalk code, and
we then will have no Kugels any more (sorry, a pun I slipped in for Klaus Major
and
the German contingent).
sincerely, Richmond Mathewson
____________________________________________________________
"Philosophical problems are confusions arising owing to the fluidity of
meanings users attach to words and phrases."
Mathewson, 2006
____________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________
use-revolution mailing list
use-revolution@lists.runrev.com
Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription
preferences:
http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
