> I’m also having affectionate memories of JavaScript and Python

I am afraid, things are equally messy in JavaScript and Python too. "X language isn't fun anymore" is exactly how I feel about X = JavaScript, X = Python, X = C++, X = Java and many other languages.

There was a time when I found Python and Js to be very fun languages. But recently the ecosystem has been becoming a mess. Build breakages on dependency upgrades are the biggest fun-killer IMHO.

Heck, there was a time when I found even Java to be fun. C++ too was fun in its early days. But every language keeps adding more syntax, more complexity and more ideas that deviate from the original design goals of these languages. These additions make the languages messy and the simple and characteristic ideas for which the languages were once loved get lost in all the complexity. I find it really disappointing. I really wish the languages preserved their original culture and philosophy.

For the never-ending and ever-increasing churn in all the languages I have gradually gone back to adopting Emacs Lisp and Common Lisp for all my personal programming needs. Common Lisp's standard is frozen in time, so for better or worse, I am protected from the constant churn I see in other languages. Emacs Lisp has a really good leadership that has been very wise to avoid adding additional complexity to the language. I wish the more modern languages were more reluctant in adding new complex ideas into the languages.

I agree with this so much. I loved Python for decades. Kinda loathe it now. All scripting languages have fallen into this, managing interpreter, test tools, and dependencies in a dev environment, CI/CD, and prod is more work than doing new stuff.

Java/Spring is obnoxious. Spring just enjoys breaking APIs or behavior on patch releases so much. Well, and I have a personal dislike of Java/C++/C# style OO. The temptation to over engineer is too great.

I’ve been enjoying Go more (I have Pascal and C roots). But I feel the pain coming as the ecosystem grows.

I haven’t LISPed in years. Maybe I’ll tinker in Clojure again. I don’t care for Emacs, and last time I checked, setting up a CL was a PITA. Sigh, even choosing a LISP/Scheme is a journey in itself.

Clojure has massive amounts of ecosystem and toolchain pain, even though it is a cool language. Most common dev environment for it is a complex emacs tool chain. If you are seeking the simple joys of programming, Clojure is unlikely to be what you want.

    1. I needed to install clojure https://clojure.org/guides/install_clojure
    2. I needed an editor, i wanted to use VSCode so the Calva plugin was what i needed https://calva.io/paredit/ 
    3. I needed to learn how to edit Clojure, i tried going beyond this point without learning paredit and it slowed me down so i came back and invested an evening - in vs code do ctrl+shift+p then choose the calva getting started repl
    4. You need build tooling and it seemed the choices were lein (easy user experience but not “blessed” future direction? - not sure about what i’m saying here  but it’s the understanding i formed). Tools.deps is the blessed approach but designed to customise the heck out of it - problematic for a beginner like me! Thankfully you can park the customisation for later and just get started with a well laid out starter https://github.com/practicalli/clojure-deps-edn - there’s even a video walks you through its features, all the inspectors and visualisers are nice to know about but not needed yet on a beginner journey

Clojure is one of my fun languages. I laughed along to a TSoding video where the chap was quite openly dismissive of clojure as he went along but everything he tried just worked and fell into place like dominos. It just made me chuckle. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7fylNa2wZaU

I have Bob Nystrom’s interpreters book and i intend to use clojure as i go through that. We’ll see how successful i am…