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Comment by orblivion | Hacker News Reader

It's funny because some of us have the opposite problem. Too many ideas, but not that much interest in learning new languages for their own sake. So when it comes down to implementing a new idea, we want it done quickly. We don't want to take the time to try to figure out how to make it in Haskell, and just revert back to Python.

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I agree, that is the one the (relative) dangers when you are proficient in a language; it is so much easier and faster to write something in the language you already know, rather than having to learn everything from scratch. Of course, it also depends on how much difference there is between old and new languages; a Python expert could probably pick up Ruby in no time, and vice versa; but Python vs Haskell is a different story.

Python is particularly cozy, I think. It picks up things from other languages, so I don't think there's much it can't do reasonably well.

Yeah, Python is my Blub. I know I should learn stuff like Haskell and Clojure, but I just haven't come across any cases where it's more than a minor inconvenience to make Python do what I need.

I recently ran into this. Thought of implementing a new project in clojure and quickly defaulted to the language i am used to. One way to mitigate this is to re implement a small project that you have already implemented in your older language. At least you can focus on the language instead of the project nuances.

Yeah that's one thing I plan to try when I get around to it.

Another way is to pick a top-notch library or framework in your target language, and learn to use that. For Clojure, I'd try making some clever charts with Incanter:

http://incanter.org/

(Incidentally, the only new language I've been able to stick with after learning Python is R, because it solves completely different problems. Which means R is now my Blub for stuff that I'd like to, given some free time, try with Clojure/Incanter...)

I don't see the problem here.

Part of me is left nagging me for not learning Haskell.

Have you tried, I wouldn't recommend it, I think I had a stroke trying.

Haskell's not the only language that will expand your problem solving toolkit.

I'm a designer. My most fluent language is Actionscript.

I probably don't need to say anything more.

I'm always bereft of good web designers for my ideas :(

I don't see the problem here.

It can be a problem because you use your favourite language/tools over and over to be productive, but then you look up and ten years have passed and your skills are no longer marketable.

This is easier to see in the older generation - I have the pleasure of knowing some totally top-class programmers who have happened to spend their whole career writing FORTRAN. Would any of you guys hire them? No, you want the RoR kids, not surprisingly.

Like everything else in in life, there is a Middle Way. Don't have new-shiny ADHD, but try and tick over a new language or technology every few years.

When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

When all you have are nails, anything hard and flat will do as a hammer.

Haha, ok ok, you win this one. Well played mister :)

Except the chisel, which is a screwdriver.

If you're good enough at swinging a hammer, you can solve almost any problem by banging on it.

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