So again the question about the best programming language was put up. This time for an aspiring 13-year old. The answer given by Ned Batchelder is concise and in my opinion a great starting point not just for children. The main point is that there is no single best choice and that the language would be a means to an end and not an academic pursuit in itself. This is quite close to the general definition of a sound choice of a programming language and every developer should ask himself this question for every job at hand!