[cognivore]

I have mixed feelings about this, but I cannot disagree with it.

a. I haven't written a program in C in over 10 years. I wrote software 5 days a week for those 10 years.

b. I wouldn't want to write a program in C now.

c. The first "high level" programming language I learned was C, from a book (not K&R C), while travelling in Asia, without a computer. It taught me well, but I immediately went on to other languages.

e. I can't shake the idea that there is some value to knowing that low level stuff, even though I don't use it much myself.

Maybe linux kernel hackers will keep it alive. I know game programmers use it a lot as well. But for the majority of us, it's kind of an arcane skill now.

[DLA]

> a. I haven't written a program in C in over 10 years. I wrote software 5 days a week for those 10 years.

That's fine. Perhaps the kind of programs you have been writing and not a good fit for what C is great at doing. That does not take away from C or its use for appropriate work.

[keithnz]

I use it all the time in embedded systems. It's very common. Basically there is no good alternatives until you get to much bigger chipsets. However in the embedded world you tend to go with a limited subset of C. Especially no use of dynamic memory.

[broodbucket]

Kernel hackers will definitely keep it alive, even if you manage to avoid every other hugely prolific C codebase out there. Being an arcane skill makes it an appealing skill to learn. There's more kernel jobs then there are university graduates capable of properly writing C.

[stillworks]

> b. I wouldn't want to write a program in C now.

When all else fails... come back and say this again ! But for the time being ignorance be bliss.