Robert Martin on Why Smalltalk Lost to Other Languages
O'Reilly · Talk · YouTube title: RailsConf 09: Robert Martin, "What Killed Smalltalk Could K
Why it's here
HN cites it in discussions of language evangelism, community dynamics and zealotry, as an accessible account of how a good language can die for non-technical reasons.
What it covers
Robert Martin's RailsConf 2009 talk looks at why Smalltalk lost out despite its technical strengths. He draws lessons about language communities and arrogance that he argues could hurt Ruby too.