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Those that implemented the unused variable feature are completely unaware that there are two modalities of programming: exploring a problem space, and building a solid product.

When you're exploring, you don't want your compiler to stop you in your tracks to warn you about pedantic nonsense. It's not a syntax error that prevents your compiler from understanding, it's just arbitrary restriction that the compiler decides to pester your about, a sort of a robotic grammar nazi.

Computers are obtuse, the worst thing they can do is ignore your perfectly parseable and valid instructions for arbitrary reasons. Machine, if you know I'm not using a variable, kindly let me know and carry on doing your job.



I'm certain they're aware of the second modality; I just think that Go is narrowly focused in design and it's not really for that other kind of user.


it is vanishingly unlikely that ken thompson and rob pike are unaware that people sometimes program to explore a problem space


Ken's first language is pretty tolerant of programmer silliness, maybe too much.


do you mean ibm 709 assembly or what

i don't actually know what he was hacking on at berkeley




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