The Next Big Language

[Don]

Jeff Nowakowski wrote:
> On 10/18/2010 04:59 AM, Jonathan M Davis wrote:
>>
>> Java was big long before it was open-sourced, and C# is big in spite 
>> of the fact
>> that its main compiler isn't open source and the one that is (Mono) is 
>> so far
>> behind the main one that many people totally discount it.
> 
> Java and C# were pushed by big companies. Pretty much any other popular 
> language these days is open source.
> 
>> I really don't understand the complaints about the lack of an open source
>> compiler for D, but then again, I've always been pro-open source and 
>> anti-free
>> software (I think that the FSF is nuts, personally), so that may be why.
> 
> I really don't understand why you say you don't understand. You list the 
> reasons why open source is good. Not everybody has the luxury of 
> plopping down a $1000 for a compiler. People don't want vendor lock-in. 
> Open source is a popular movement, and you say you're pro-open source, 
> and you don't understand why D gets knocked for not being so?

The problem is that D is getting attacked _as if it were closed source_, 
which is completely untrue! The source code for ALL D compilers is 
freely available at no charge. closed source != !open.

There are many, very strong disadvantages of closed source vs Open 
Source, but most don't apply to D.

I see only two disadvantages with the DMD backend vs Open Source:
(1) we carry the risk that something happens to Walter;
(2) DMD cannot be included in Linux distributions.

But since the front-end is GPLed, these apply only to the backend.

It really seems to be a philosophical objection rather than a practical 
one. Or else based on a misunderstanding.