[andrewcooke]

that's all true, but the type system in haskell is hard. it seems to me that means one of the following:

* i am old and stupid, and the next generation will find it easy (although i was about ten years younger when i first tried haskell, and it was simpler then...)

* technology will advance and better abstractions and/or interfaces will be found.

* programming really is that hard.

personally i hope for the second, suspect the first, and fear the third :o)