> it was fun watching advocates of complex, abstract Haskell argue against straightforward programming that normal developers can understand
I don't think that's what they were arguing against. I think they were arguing against equating straightforward programming with basic language features.
That's true, much of the technical discourse haggled over favorite language features. But that missed the much bigger point: If we use complex, abstract Haskell for practical apps, what are the consequences of alienating the vast majority of professional developers?
Unfortunately the answer is clear: Haskell's arcane reputation has solidified.
Well, it's a good question. I'm in favour of using simple[+], abstract Haskell for practical apps, welcoming the vast majority of professional developers!
[+] "simple" in that the solution to a problem is expressed in a simple way, not that it restricts itself to a particular subset of the language.
I don't think that's what they were arguing against. I think they were arguing against equating straightforward programming with basic language features.