> These users tend to be the users who are most vulnerable from the standpoint of not knowing
> what is happening to them. They just see that Haskell "doesn't work" and go back to Ruby.
(Laughing Out Loud) It is not just me then.
Really I would consider taking a page out of the Ruby pragmatic playbook and recognise the importance of both monomorphic strings and overloaded strings and provide a separate syntax for either overloaded strings or good ole lists of Unicode points (to which I have an irrational sentimental attachment).
Otherwise my vote is vote for the balance of the less surprises and less generality of Edward's proposal (+1).