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> COBOL

> MATLAB

> MUMPS

One of each uglier than the one before. But:

Is there something we can learn from these examples? Are there good reasons for these languages being adopted? And are the Racket designers with their approach of "a language to define interoperable DSLs" up to something?

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I think programming languages are more like spoken languages than we give them credit for. Their design is more intentional, but the processes by which they spread, compete, and evolve is similarly difficult to pin down.

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