Your first paragraph is right on, but I have a feeling your second may be attributing too much conscious decision to the average user. I think making a product popular is just a side effect of the quest for validation: getting someone else to buy what one bought helps one to validate one's own decision to buy. If everyone you tell of a new language adopts it right away, you'll feel pretty good about your choice, but if they resist and point out numerous flaws, you're likely to reconsider your own decision.