There is an enduring myth, nay fantasy, for many young programmers that their language of choice (or simply the first one that they learned) is "the one true language," and all other languages be damned. It is an understandable human quality, much as speakers of their respective human languages often think theirs is superior to all others. I harbor no such illusions, rather focusing more on how each language, with their strengths and weaknesses, fits into the pantheon of languages.
When discussing programming languages, the topic of compiled vs. interpreted languages often comes up. When explaining this to non-technical folks, I tend to use an analogy.
TL;DR
This is the first of a series of posts on various programming languages, including where I believe each fits into the scheme of things. To provide context for all the posts which follow, it starts with my personal, academic, and professional background regarding programming languages.