[avmich]

> So we have a language with bad syntax, good semantics, and a horrible problem from an educational perspective.

"bad syntax" in case of J triggers begging to differ.

Yes, it's hard to decipher without the dictionary. However, math notation - and J descended from there - isn't that obvious either, unless learned.

A crucial idea of APL is "good notation enables thinking". This is quite valid for at least some J programmers. And J was born as a better APL, evolving from latest APL versions of the time with some problems visible in the retrospect fixed. Though I think had Unicode developed earlier J could look differently.

Yes, there is the recursion in J; yes, it's not used too often. Why that should be a problem?