[superuser2]

Most of my university classmates' first exposure to programming is using R in a statistics class. It's awful. I wish they'd make Python or something a prerequisite, so that giant swaths of people don't get turned off of computing or start with the strange ideas it teaches.

[bachmeier]

It sounds like you are arguing for imperative programming over functional programming.

[superuser2]

R is a fine tool, but (like Java or C) not the best window for a beginner into the joy that programming can be. The syntax is pretty weird and its semantics don't align that neatly with broadly-useful ideas for reasoning about programs.

We run 3 different intro sequences in Python (for non-majors), Scheme (for most majors), and Haskell (for those who are already strong imperative programmers). They're all great.

[GFK_of_xmaspast]

What does that have to do with r vs python?