The Origins of Apl (1974) [video]
Key topics
A 1974 video on the origins of APL has sparked a nostalgic discussion among commenters, with many sharing fond memories of their early encounters with the programming language and related IBM technology. Lee Phillips reminisced about using APL as his first programming language, while NetMageSCW recalled discovering APL through a bargain book and taking a class in the Architecture curriculum. The thread also veered into related tangents, such as the history of IBM's "Thinkpad" name and the evolution of APL, with ofalkaed [Author] digging deeper into the formal description of System/360. As commenters shared their personal anecdotes, the thread coalesced around a shared appreciation for the language's enduring influence.
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Discussion Activity
Moderate engagementFirst comment
6d
Peak period
8
156-168h
Avg / period
6
Based on 12 loaded comments
Key moments
- 01Story posted
Dec 21, 2025 at 8:43 PM EST
13 days ago
Step 01 - 02First comment
Dec 28, 2025 at 3:35 AM EST
6d after posting
Step 02 - 03Peak activity
8 comments in 156-168h
Hottest window of the conversation
Step 03 - 04Latest activity
Dec 28, 2025 at 3:48 PM EST
6d ago
Step 04
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Read the primary article or dive into the live Hacker News thread when you're ready.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Think_(slogan)
Also, it would be nice if you'd complement that with describing how the world span at the time. I find that often putting some happenings in context helps understanding choices and events better.
Thank you in advance!
[0] https://www.cs.trinity.edu/~jhowland/class.files.cs2321.html...
[1] https://www.jsoftware.com/papers/APL.htm
https://search.worldcat.org/title/Computer-architecture-:-co...
Truer words were never spoken.
"I went from application to application trying to use the same techniques. The most encouraging thing is that they would work. After 2-3 years during which time the language had grown by accretion, it grew and grew, eventually I found it was shrinking.
https://www.dyalog.com/50-years-of-apl.htm