[dsymonds]

Syntax is very important for a programming language. It's in your face all the time. A serious downside to many programming languages is their awful or inconsistent syntax, and that results in code that is hard to read and comprehend even before trying to understand what the code is doing.

[ecolak]

It sure is important but who is to say C-style syntax is better than Lisp-style syntax and vice versa. Obviously the NBL should have a sensible and consistent syntax but it has to have a lot more than that to be the NBL. C-style syntax is definitely NOT a must have.