Dynamic Languages Journal?

A few months ago, I received some mail from Dr. Dobb's Journal informing me that I qualified for a free subscription. Unlike some of the other free rags out there, Dr. Dobb's seemed genuinely useful, so I accepted. The first issue I received was Java only. The issue I am looking at now covers Java, C, C++, C# and .NET. So for casual free reading, it's OK, but it really doesn't have much impact on what I do. Even though I know Java and C, I really don't care about them.

Even though Dr. Dobb's is not narrow (it's even had articles on Prolog), it's largely useless to me due to its understandably heavy focus on languages with "market share". Despite that, there are times when it has fantastic articles that really pique my curiosity. I just want it to be more consistently relevant to me. What I want is a magazine like Dr. Dobb's that focuses primarily in dynamic programming languages.

Imagine a "Dynamic Languages Journal" which focuses on Perl, Python, PHP, Javascript, Ruby, etc. It has an "Exotic (to non-LtU readers) Languages" corner which has introductory articles on Prolog, Squeek, Haskell and similar beasts. Exciting new developments like Open JSAN can be covered and has columns covering the philosophical discussions that some love and others hate. That's what I would subscribe to in a heartbeat. Further, by having a professionally produced magazine like that, it would even further drive the "respectability" of the powerful tools that we appreciate even if outsiders don't.

Note: this was originally posted to my Perl journal and some folks seemed interested. In fact, the editor and publisher of the Perl Review has stated he wants to start such a magazine, but he needs editors who have the subject matter expertise. I'm sure a few folks around here would be qualified.

don't we all (want this)? is

don't we all (want this)? isn't that what this place is, at its best?
there's shae's haskell thing - maybe he'd let people build on that, or incorporate it in some way?

By andrew cooke at Thu, 2005-07-07 02:20 | login or register to post comments

Sure, but?

Sure, I can help with organize/write/edit if you want a free and open wikizine, but I think Ovid was talking about a dead tree publication. Is that correct?

--Shae Erisson - ScannedInAvian.com

By shapr at Thu, 2005-07-07 03:27 | login or register to post comments

Yes, dead trees

Yes, I was referring to dead trees. For many people, magazines still have a greater appeal than a Wiki or a Web site. And as for LtU, while it's nice, it's not the same as a magazine dedicated primarily to the popular dynamically typed languages. Magazines offer regular columns, letters to the editor, a sense of familiarity, etc.

Plus, to be fair, while I enjoy LtU, quite often the topics are over my head. I didn't read much of A Typed, Compositional Logic for a Stack-Based Abstract Machine. That's the sort of thing whose target market is far removed from what I envision for "Dynamic Languages Journal."

By Ovid at Thu, 2005-07-07 05:46 | login or register to post comments

Market Space Outside LtU

LtU concentrates on publishable (research-quality) results. There are lots of things that aren't publishable, are still interesting, but have no other venue. E.g. building a web site in a continuation-based framework would be interesting to me though it contributes nothing to academic knowledge.

I am willing to contribute to such a project, though I have vanishingly small interest in the languages you list outside the "Exotics", Javascript, and a bit of Ruby.

By Noel at Thu, 2005-07-07 11:41 | login or register to post comments

Not just...

LtU concentrates on publishable (research-quality) results

I think we try to give space to all interesting programming language work. Both publishable research and cool projects are welcome. Finding the blanace is hard, but that's what the community is for.

By Ehud Lamm at Thu, 2005-07-07 12:48 | login or register to post comments

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