The perverse vibe of lua-l

[Dirk Laurie <dpl@...>]

In all other lists on programming languages that I have known,
the mix is something like this:

Questions by newbies on how to do something, or asking what
    their mistake is when something doesn't work: 50%
Replies by experts (or not-quite-so-newbies) solving the 
    problem: 50%
Suggestions for possible changes to the language: 0%

Everybody agrees that the language is tough to master, but none
dares to suggest that it should be any different.

On lua-l, the mix is something like this:

Questions by newbies on how to do something, or asking what
    their mistake is when something doesn't work: 10%
Replies by experts (or not-quite-so-newbies) solving the 
    problem: 10%
Suggestions (mainly by newbies) for possible changes to the
    language, making it more like one of the tough languages: 50%
Replies by experts (or not-quite-so-newbies), debunking these 
    suggestions, or pointing out that they have been discussed
    zillions of times before: 30%

Everybody agrees that the language is easy to learn, yet half the
posts want to change it.

Everybody ignores the computing proverb: 
    "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Lua is not perfect, nothing ever is, but it is a darn sight closer
to being perfect than C??, P???, P?????, R???, J??? or whatever your
old love was.

Dirk