Static typing can have advantages but that doesn't mean it's completely invalid to use a dynamic or untyped language. It's understandable if some people prefer not to be involved in those projects though.
But it's completely feasible to use dynamic languages for non-trivial applications. I think it's fair to say that Hacker News is not a trivial application and it's written in a Lisp dialect called Arc.
The biggest advantage of dynamic languages is probably that they are usually more concise. Which can lend itself to a more elegant expression of intent.
Another advantage might be more flexibility reducing the tendency to add boilerplate or a lot of schema-specific code. And I am aware that many people consider a lack of schemas to be the worst thing ever. But at least they are flexible.
And yes I am aware that static types can eliminate errors at compile time. Those types of advantages don't completely invalidate the use of untyped languages.
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Static typing can have advantages but that doesn't mean it's completely invalid to use a dynamic or untyped language. It's understandable if some people prefer not to be involved in those projects though.
But it's completely feasible to use dynamic languages for non-trivial applications. I think it's fair to say that Hacker News is not a trivial application and it's written in a Lisp dialect called Arc.
The biggest advantage of dynamic languages is probably that they are usually more concise. Which can lend itself to a more elegant expression of intent.
Another advantage might be more flexibility reducing the tendency to add boilerplate or a lot of schema-specific code. And I am aware that many people consider a lack of schemas to be the worst thing ever. But at least they are flexible.
And yes I am aware that static types can eliminate errors at compile time. Those types of advantages don't completely invalidate the use of untyped languages.