Why Programming Languages Matter

Explore the significance of programming languages in a 57-minute conference talk from Strange Loop Conference. Delve into the speaker's 45-year journey developing six programming languages, examining their challenges and opportunities. Discover why programming languages are considered the ultimate meta-tool, enabling creation from pure thought and facilitating communication between programmers and computers. Learn about the social and technical aspects of good programming languages, the struggles new languages face for acceptance, and the challenges awaiting future language designers. Gain insights into the historical context of programming languages, from Algol 60 to Fortran, Smalltalk, and the Grace Educational Programming Language. Benefit from the expertise of Andrew Black, Emeritus Professor at Portland State University, as he shares his experiences in academia and industry, highlighting the importance of understanding programming language history to shape their future.