Newsgroups: comp.lang.prolog
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!bb3.andrew.cmu.edu!news.sei.cmu.edu!cis.ohio-state.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!ix.netcom.com!netcom.com!walth
From: walth@netcom.com (Walter Howard)
Subject: Re: Why hasn't Prolog Taken over the World?
Message-ID: <iWYpk0uRWMeE068yn@netcom.com>
Sender: walth@netcom.com (Walter Howard)
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
References: <3a6lf4$mk5@mozo.cc.purdue.edu> <3aal5c$b4d@ra.nrl.navy.mil> <citrin-1511941431140001@ecemac-citrin.colorado.edu> <3ai0ps$rmq@beta.qmw.ac.uk> <dcfCzI6wB.9pH@netcom.com>
Date: Sat, 19 Nov 1994 16:30:36 GMT
Lines: 55

Right on. I love C++, and have only had brief exposure to Prolog. I
got very addicted to Prolog at the time but there was no work around
here for that.

From what I have seen, many languages get penetration into the real
world via this series of events:

1) Small company needs some computerization. 

2) They hire the cheapest programmer they can afford who uses the
language of his choice ( Visual Basic is a good example here ).  In
many cases the programmer is a friend of the business owner or
recommended by word of mouth.

3) The Small company grows larger and so does the original system. Now
we have a major system built from a language whose selection was made
on a whim, not an assessment of real capability.

4) Every company I have been in, without exception, at this point
gets the notion that they could sell their internal computer system
to others in their particular vertical market.

5) Some of these successfully do this and then sell the system to
a Software Only type marketing company. 

6) Voila. It looks like the product was developed from scratch by
this software company but in reality is was just a kludge put
together years before and repackaged with new flair.

The above scenario provides some hints to those who want their language
accepted.

1) Compilers must be made available cheaply to the original
progammers/ hackers who get them used in the real world. More than
$100 is too much.

2) The language has to be understandable to newbies.

3) The language has to be appealing to newbies. In many cases lots of
bells and whistles and pretty lights do the trick ( thus the
popularity of the god-awful garbage dump called Microsoft Windows )

Visual Basic fits all of the above and it is shocking how much demand
there is for programmers who know it. It's a sad state of affairs.

My wife is glancing at her watch and wants to go christmas with me
shopping so I have to sign off now.



-- 

+=============================================================+

You may think I'm crazy, but remember, you heard it here first!

+=============================================================+

walth@netcom.com
