[PopsiclePete]

> but simplicity trumps doing either of those things well.

That's the genius (?) of Go. They gave us what we didn't know we needed.

Software people love the "manliness" that comes with "serious", "real" programming languages. Maybe it's the desire to impress our peers with our intelligence? But in the end the only thing that matters is whether you can get your shit done and on time in at least a semi-working state.

[hderms]

I appreciate what you're getting at, but is Go really the epitome of a "get things done" language? It seems to suffer from some serious boilerplate issues even compared to something like Java.

As far as it being driven my machismo, I think that's part of it, but I'd be more inclined to blame it on the following:

* complex languages/mental frameworks function as an "intellectual trap" where people more inclined to be interested in intellectual things for their own sake start to lose site of the forest for the trees.

* FOMO that one must keep up to speed with all the coolest new developments in programming or face mounting irrelevance

* Elitism/self promotion where specializing in something difficult (and potentially keeping newcomers out) either provides internal or external motivation

I think some of these traits seem somewhat correlated with the "nerd machismo" archetype but I think the actual causes are multifaceted. .