> While it’s easy for a computer scientist to make the jump to programmer with just a little guidance, it’s much harder to go the other way.
I don't think it's actually that easy for a computer "scientist" to unlearn all the idealistic stuff that can actually be counter-productive in a real-world programming environment, particularly if they're enamored with languages like LISP or Haskell. These people easily get depressed in a "real" programming job.
Whether it's hard to go the other way doesn't really matter. There's no pressure to go the other way. The only healthy place for computer scientist types is academia, or maybe certain R&D positions. These are few and far between.
Because people get depressed when they can't program in their favorite language? Frankly, ridiculous. A job is a job and the main question is whether you can do it or not.
Rust is becoming very popular. What is Rust though, if not a strict (i.e., non-lazy) Haskell with different syntax, linear types, and less polymorphism? I think a CS type who loves Haskell will be right at home with Rust. Or modern C++. Just as a CS type who loves Lisp will also be able to make the move to Rust or modern C++. Java, maybe not so much :)
> The key point here is our programmers are Googlers, they’re not researchers. They’re typically, fairly young, fresh out of school, probably learned Java, maybe learned C or C++, probably learned Python. They’re not capable of understanding a brilliant language but we want to use them to build good software. So, the language that we give them has to be easy for them to understand and easy to adopt.
I don't think it's actually that easy for a computer "scientist" to unlearn all the idealistic stuff that can actually be counter-productive in a real-world programming environment, particularly if they're enamored with languages like LISP or Haskell. These people easily get depressed in a "real" programming job.
Whether it's hard to go the other way doesn't really matter. There's no pressure to go the other way. The only healthy place for computer scientist types is academia, or maybe certain R&D positions. These are few and far between.