Re: OFF TOPIC -- Starter programming language for a brilliant child

[Steven Johnson <steve@...>]

On Mon, Mar 25, 2013 at 8:06 AM, Andrew Starks <andrew.starks@trms.com> wrote:
> On Mon, Mar 25, 2013 at 8:46 AM, Dirk Laurie <dirk.laurie@gmail.com> wrote:
>> 2013/3/25 marbux <marbux@gmail.com>:
>>
>>> About a year ago or so, there was a discussion of whether Lua was the
>>> best language for a beginner.  As I recall the consensus was "no" but
>>> some suggestions were made for other languages. One of them caught my
>>> eye as especially appropriate for children and I thought I had
>>> bookmarked it, but either the bookmark or the discussion in the
>>> archives. Does anyone remember enough of it to find the thread again?
>>
>> It's probably hidden inside one of those 100-posts threads that
>> wandered far oof the original topic.
>>
>>> The reason I am asking is that about a week ago I met an 8-year-old
>>> girl named Hunter whose obvious brilliance very simply rocked me on my
>>> heels. (I'm going on 67 years old and this was the first time I'd had
>>> such an experience.) She has no computer. So with her mother's
>>> permission I am buying her a used laptop. I'd like to equip the laptop
>>> with that programming language's interpreter and its tutorials.
>>
>> Although Lua as it stands is not ideal, Love (which is Lua embedded
>> in a two-dimensional drawing system with support for sound and user
>> interaction via mouse and other devices) may well be a good choice.
>> She would not learn the language systematically but by exploration.
>> Start from an existing working demo and gradually modify it to do
>> other things.
>>
>
> ++ to what Dirk said.
>
> I think that as a *language*, Lua is perfect. It lacks what Love
> provides, which is some early, entertaining feedback. If you wanted
> to, and could, start with something even more direct, then Lego
> Mindstorms is pretty awesome that way, too.
>
> Lua has very few rules and a very basic syntax, which lends to few of
> those awkward, "well, normally, you'd be right, except here. I can't
> really explain why, right now, because we haven't gotten to that..."
>
> I think Love is a great first choice.
>
> -Andrew
>

Is it this one? http://lua-users.org/lists/lua-l/2010-07/msg00707.html

I concur with Love, or Corona. (As other Lua-based SDK's go, I haven't
invested enough time to say.) Given the intended audience, though, a
little heads-up to forestall or at least anticipate awkward questions:
the naming convention of third-party Love libraries... well, the
community may be a bunch of 8 year old boys. :)