Masterminds of Programming: Conversations with the Creators of Major Programming Languages
[Haskell]
Why do you think no functional programming language has entered the mainstream?
John Hughes: Poor marketing! I don't mean propaganda; we've had plenty of that. I mean a careful choice of a target market niche to dominate, followed by a determined effort to make functional programming by far the most effective way to address that niche. In the happy days of the 80s, we thought functional programming was good for everything - but calling new technology "good for everything" is the same as calling it "particularly good at nothing". What's the brand supposed to be? This is a problem that John Launchbury described very clearly in his invited talk at ICFP. Galois Connections nearly went under when their brand was "software in functional languages," but they've gone from strength to strength since focusing on "high-assurance software."
Many people have no idea how technological innovation happens, and expect that better technology will simply become dominant all by itself (the "better mousetrap" effect), but the world's just not like that.
