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How is that not the case for any language?

(This also might be a bad example, but it was based off of code I wrote)

Coffeescript is adding an abstraction level, but all the complexity of JavaScript remains, so while you write Coffeescript, you have to sort of compile it in your head. I could maybe get on board if it went one whole level of abstraction further.

I disagree; I think the more standard handling of `this` and the automagic variable scoping, constitute a significant reduction in complexity for people coming from other OO languages. Certainly for me, having more experience with Python and Ruby than Javascript.

The abridged syntax is just gravy.

Just as a data point, most "on top of" languages seem a bit more distant from what they sit on top of.

In other words, C is somewhat cross platform, and much higher level than assembler. Ruby does way more out of the box than C does.

Coffeescript seems to mostly just be a modified JavaScript syntax, although I have to admit I haven't looked at it that closely.

That's all C++ originally was, too. Everything has to start somewhere, and fixing some of JavaScript's warts is as good a place to start as anywhere.

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