Linus, Guido, Larry

Whatever one may feel or think about linux, python, and perl, the fact that each has a Benevolent Dictator For Life goes a long way to explain why some really love it. A BDFL means that the application has stated boundaries and norms upon which one can depend.

R, alas, has no BDFL. R is anarchy. I'm certainly not the first to notice this fact, and my particular gripes with the language are not necessarily widely held. An interesting post from an R consultancy takes a direct swipe at the anarchy. It concludes with the following (bold in original):

Data should always be the first argument to a function.