Schol-R-LEA wrote:
...building a better mousetrap is my stated, and sole, purpose...
...and the creed of my OS project, but...
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...and practicality be damned.
...here, we differ. I'm not writing this OS because "I want to learn" or "because it's fun" (or at least, not
only because of this).
I write it because I feel someone has to do it, because it is needed, because I hope that my OS will be what people will find
usefull. Thus, I walk the edge of what's cool, hip, and interesting - and what's proved to work.
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(That's why I, even while being interested, haven't had a closer look at e.g. FORTH, Smalltalk, or Oberon: I can't apply them on my job.)
Ouch. Despite what I just said, I am saddened to hear you say this; I think it is as shortsighted as my own obsessive knowledge-gathering is.
I don't think so. While I agree with what you say in the following paragraphs (new languages being easier to learn the more you know, and helping you finding new ways of problem solving), I have several other points to consider:
* C++, Perl, Java, XML et al. are my "professional portfolio", the stuff I earn my family a living with.
* C++ is also the language of my large/huge scale private project.
* I still find things in the depths of C++ I didn't know, or didn't have experience with. While knowing many languages is a benefit, I think a language like C++ is sure worth exploring to full depth.
* I have an accumulated reading backlog of > 1,50 m, just counting the "traditionals" like C++, STL, XML, Perl, OS Design, IA-32 architecture, IA-32 Assembler.
Adding all these points together, it is my
responsibility as a family head and project leader to look into the "traditionals"
first.
Toss me some hours at leisure and empty my To-Do list, and I will surely (and finally) have a look at other languages that are not requested in job openings and don't apply to my project.
I don't know about you, but between 39 hours / week in the office, 2 hours / day commuting, working on my own OS, and having a wife (and hopefully soon, kids), learning languages for the sake of learning is a luxury I cannot afford.
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Besides, learning languages can be a pleasant diversion for it's own sake (though you probably don't want to get quite as 'diverted' as I did).
For "diversion", I prefer medieval re-enactment. I'd like to add archery, martial arts, and role-playing games, but I lack the time even for those.