TL;DR
A Hacker News commenter collected and curated long-running HN posts titled 'The {name} programming language' and assembled indexes for them and Show HN language projects. The lists are static snapshots; the author suggested the possibility of finding a way to keep them updated.
What happened
A Hacker News user posted guidance about how to introduce a new programming language on the site and noted an existing HN tradition of threads titled 'The {name} programming language.' The commenter created two curated lists to gather those entries: one for the 'The {name} programming language' posts and another for Show HN language projects. Both lists were shared as fixed, curated pages rather than dynamically updated indexes. The post highlighted several widely viewed language threads on HN — including entries for Swift, Julia, Rust and Go — and included their original post dates and comment counts. The author also observed that the more obscure or esoteric language submissions tend to be the most entertaining. Finally, the curator suggested exploring options to make the lists updateable rather than remaining frozen in time.
Why it matters
- Hacker News has an identifiable tradition of dedicated language-thread posts that serve as focal points for community discussion.
- A centralized index can help developers and researchers find historical HN conversations about specific languages more easily.
- Static, curated pages capture a moment in time but may miss ongoing activity and newer language entries.
- Deciding whether and how to update such lists raises questions about curation, maintenance and community involvement.
Key facts
- The author posted tips on how to present a new programming language to Hacker News (HN item id referenced).
- Two curated indexes were shared: one collecting 'The {name} programming language' threads and another for Show HN language projects (/thelang and /showlang on HN).
- The curated pages are described as frozen in time rather than live or automatically updated.
- Examples called out include: 'The Swift Programming Language' (June 2014, 926 comments).
- Also listed: 'The Julia Programming Language' (Feb 2012, 203 comments).
- 'The Rust programming language' entry was cited (July 2010, 44 comments).
- 'The Go Programming Language' was noted as well (Nov 2009, 219 comments).
- The curator remarked that obscure and esoteric language posts are often the most fun to read.
What to watch next
- Whether the curated pages will be turned into live, regularly updated indexes — not confirmed in the source.
- If the Hacker News community or maintainers propose a process for ongoing updates and contributions — not confirmed in the source.
- How new language launches and Show HN entries will be incorporated into any future update plan — not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- Hacker News (HN): A social news website focusing on technology and startup topics, where users submit links and host threaded discussions.
- Show HN: A Hacker News category where creators share products, projects or demos directly with the community for feedback.
- Curated list: A manually compiled collection of links or entries organized around a theme, typically maintained by an individual or small group.
- Thread: A discrete discussion on a message board or forum that begins with a single post and includes subsequent comments and replies.
Reader FAQ
What did the author share on Hacker News?
They posted tips for presenting a new programming language on HN and published two curated lists collecting language-related posts.
Are the curated lists updated automatically?
No. The curator described the lists as frozen in time; any plan to update them was suggested but not detailed.
Which notable language threads were highlighted?
The post cited HN threads for Swift (June 2014, 926 comments), Julia (Feb 2012, 203 comments), Rust (July 2010, 44 comments) and Go (Nov 2009, 219 comments).
Who maintains the curated lists?
Not confirmed in the source.
This afternoon I posted some tips on how to present a new* programming language to HN: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46608577. It occurred to me that HN has a tradition of posts called "The…
Sources
- The $LANG Programming Language
- Hacker News
- Exploring Hacker News by mapping and analyzing 40 …
- Whether variable name in any programming language …
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