[cies]

This argument + response keep coming up. If a niche language could never pick up steam we'd still be stuck with assembly. All languages started off as niche.

It's more interesting what constitutes niche, AND as the parent notes what constitutes a "language to have enthousiasm for".

VB, JScript, ActionScript, ColdFusion and BASIC are all niche (nowadays), but without enthusiasm its not interesting.

Besides the niche-enthusiasm, there is also something for "usefulness". Haskell+ecosystem (and others in the FP camp) bring a nice set of features to the table not often found in other languages.

[jcelerier]

> All languages started off as niche.

definitely not. Java was presented at SunWorld. When C# came out there were ads in computer programming zines. Swift came out on a wide concert stage with most of the Apple community having their eyes riveted on the video stream: https://youtu.be/MO7Ta0DvEWA?t=45

All that ensures that the "critical mass" adoption to get the language out of niche status would be a non-issue

[cies]

Even those languages start off with a small user base, right?

And some return to small user bases :) I think the number of VB programmers has drop to level below Haskell nowadays.

[jcelerier]

> I think the number of VB programmers has drop to level below Haskell nowadays.

ahahaha

https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?q=%2Fm%2F01dpgv,%2F...

[that_guy_iain]

> This argument + response keep coming up. If a niche language could never pick up steam we'd still be stuck with assembly. All languages started off as niche.

No they didn't all start off as a niche. They started off with a small user base of early adopters. Haskell is a niche because it's been around long enough to pick up users. There is a difference between a new language with a small number of early adopters and a niche language that has been around for decades.

And languages like Swift did not start off small.

[cies]

You're right. A niche is not built in a day.