Re: Why I don't believe in static typing

* Dirk Thierbach wrote:

> So you say you don't believe in static typing because you have met
> people who are stupid? Come on, you cannot be serious. That would 
> be like saying that I don't believe that dynamic typing can work
> because I have seen people who treat it as a religion.

Yes indeed.  Although you have the details and answer wrong you've
worked out the correct reasoning.  The people are why you don't want
to have anything to do with static typing.  It's not that they're
stupid (though don't get me wrong, I wouldn't want to imply that
they're *not* stupid), it's the religion.  The fiery eyes and total
lack of self-doubt give it away: this isn't science, it's a cult.  You
just know that if you get involved, you're going to end up shaving
your head, living on a diet of raw beetroot and rotten fish, bathing
in the leader's urine, and selling everything you own and giving the
proceeds to the cult. If you're lucky you'll then spend the rest of
your life handing out leaflets pushing some obscure programming
language on street corners and newsgroups.  If you're not then you'll
end up strangled and burnt in a pit somewhere, a martyr to, well,
what?

And of *course* the cultists fulminate against the dynamic typing
people for their `religion', the same way the Wee Frees fulminate
against the Church of England for their religion.  Fulminating is
pretty much their only remaining source of pleasure in life, after
all.  Trust me, you'd fulminate too if you were living in a cave
wearing clothes made from bin-liners and nails and, worse, having to
put up with the other members of the cult.  Of course, they don't
fulminate nearly so much against the rest of us as they do against
each other.  It's a good thing their diet weakens them to the point
where they can't hurt each other, or not much anyway.

Lisp people are bad enough on the cult front, but they're really only
Catholics.  Sure, they burn incense all the time and have some weird
beliefs and hang ups about sex, and they definitely think they're
morally above everyone else.  You wouldn't want to deal with them more
than you can avoid, of course, but they gave up burning people a
little while ago now, and they won't, generally, try to convert you.

But steer well clear of the static typers: they're just dangerous.

--tim