Why all the negativity at the Scala Reddit channel?

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I know every language has problems, but it looks like problems in Scala always become a huge drama. Lately half of the posts at the Scala channel on Reddit are people questioning if the language is dying. This is quite a bummer for those who are joining the language now, makes beginners wonder if it is a safe bet or not.

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Can you provide some specific links so we have a better idea of what you are referring to?

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And now you’ve brought the negativity here, accomplishing the exact opposite of what you seem to want?

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The language is mature, usable, the tools are working. There is plenty of projects (large and small) using it successfully. The are jobs offered for Scala developers. Language, tools and libraries are being actively developed and there is no sign of dying.

There are no signs of Scala becoming a mainstream language. We, Scala users, are often wondering why, as the language allows writing code which is beautiful, and once you get used to this, going “back” to Java, JavaScript or TypeScript is painful.

I am not sure what safety are you looking for. Are you looking for a new language to increase your ability and value as a programmer, or for new language to start some particular project in?

As for the future, it is hard to provide any safety - the world is changing quickly. There are Large Language Models, there are wars, there are environmental problems - I am afraid it is hard to say how will this affect your job safety.

If you are asking: “Will the language be here few years from now, and will I find a job if I learn Scala?”, I would say the answer is definitive yes. If you are asking “Will I be programming in one of the most popular languages?”, the answer is likely to be no. See e.g. top five at TIOBE index, which are Python, C++, Java, C, C#, all together eating 60% of the “popularity cake”. Compared to them, all other languages can be called marginal.

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@pmjoe Never mind all that Reddit stuff, most of what people say on social Internet sites is tosh anyway, regardless of the sphere. Feel free to include me in the hoi polloi.

Just set your Scala language version to 3.3 LTS and get on with your coding. :saluting_face:

What’s much more interesting is how you’ve got on with your Go to Scala migration journey, and whether your side project has made you rich and famous yet…

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