For the majority of people I don't think that it is the language that makes it fun. I think that finding a project that makes you want to wake up at 4am and go to sleep at 2am because it is so interesting is what makes it fun. Yes, I am a coder but ultimately I think of myself as a puzzle solver. When you approach the problem from the right direction you're already much better off than you would've been before. Try a bunch of languages out for a month, that's what I'm doing (OCaml starts tomorrow), and figure out which language works with you, not against you (Java!), to help you solve your puzzle.
Comments
For the majority of people I don't think that it is the language that makes it fun. I think that finding a project that makes you want to wake up at 4am and go to sleep at 2am because it is so interesting is what makes it fun. Yes, I am a coder but ultimately I think of myself as a puzzle solver. When you approach the problem from the right direction you're already much better off than you would've been before. Try a bunch of languages out for a month, that's what I'm doing (OCaml starts tomorrow), and figure out which language works with you, not against you (Java!), to help you solve your puzzle.
PS: There were articles on HN in January about the 12 languages in 12 months but I don't want to look them up so I will provide you with the link I saved from them http://www.coderholic.com/12-new-programming-languages-in-12...