[robbies]

I would actually argue that it is _bad_ for graphics. The GPU abstraction that OpenGL represents is now 30+ years old, and not at all representative of how modern GPUs (desktop or mobile) work. I'd even argue that OGL obfuscate the GPU machinery to all the budding graphics programmers who use OGL. OGL was never meant to be a graphics toolkit/middleware, but that's what it's become (at least the compat profile).

As far as the value to you, to be perfectly frank, you would not have compatibility profile if it wasn't for workstation ISVs demanding OpenGL 1.1 still be supported for their legacy applications (and shelling out the big bucks to maintain that support). There isn't a singly IHV who is keeping these legacy features on for any hobbyist or learning programmer. Not one. The IHVs know it's bad, but there's a lot of money in keeping it around.

I don't even know if there's value in mentioning this, but I used to be an OpenGL driver engineer, and then when I worked on it, I realized "Hey, wtf, this has nothing to do with how the GPU works!" I'm still happy/proud about the work I did, but I don't think it advanced the graphics state-of-the-art (for the most part, there are some cool things that showed up first in OpenGL). And then as far as the cruft I mentioned...it's just a psychotic maintenance nightmare.

[badsectoracula]

That is all nice but i don't see what is the point of trying to convince me that i shouldn't like something i like :-P. Regardless of how good OpenGL is in representing how GPUs work or why it is still around, it doesn't change the fact that it is still around and i like using it.