[Haskell-cafe] Interesting new user perspective

[Andrew Coppin]

Jonathan Cast wrote:
> Why would I want to do I/O, when I don't know how to do anything
> interesting with the input yet, or how to generate interesting output?
> I think the `I/O comes first' attitude is *precisely* the difference
> between mainstream programmers and Haskellers.  The goal should be to
> create more Haskellers, not just more people whose code happens to be
> accepted by GHC.
>   

So we need to teach these people not just about the syntax of the 
language, but the high-level game plan for how to use Haskell 
effectively. (Since it's SO different from normal languages.)

Trouble is, as soon as you attempt to write a chapter like that, guess 
how many people are gonna actually read it? :-/

>> I've  
>> got a Haskell book here (Hutton, 170 pages) that doesn't even mention  
>> how to open a file!
>>     
>
> That short, and you expect minor features like that (that not every
> program even needs) to be squeezed in?
>   

See, now it's things like that which stop more people attempting to 
learn Haskell. Most programmers would consider this an extremely basic 
and important thing to know, but Haskellers say "oh, THAT... it's not 
really important" and the newbies go "wuh? Which planet are you from? 
I'll go learn something less crazy, thanks."