Erlang really gets this right. Abstract out all the generic server stuff and have it coded up by experts, then have the application programmers concentrate on the application. A bit like programming a plug-in for Apache but then extrapolated to just about anything you could do with a server. Erlang is a very interesting eco-system, the more I play around with it the more I like it and the way it is put together. If it had a shallower learning curve it would put a lot of other eco-systems out of business. But then again, the fact that it doesn't makes it something of a secret weapon for those shops and individuals that have managed to really master it.