[nedbat]

I was reacting to someone literally saying, "Everyone should learn C because it teaches you how computers really work." In my experience it's no an uncommon recommendation. Yes, people also say, "learning C can be a great experience," and I agree.

[worksonmine]

It gave me a better understanding of how computers really work. If you already have a CS degree that might not be the case, but he has a point and the experience opened a whole new world for me. Something I assumed was too difficult for me for a long time. Add Valgrind and watch the assembly while stepping line by line, taught me so much.

Why C as opposed to other languages? It's portable and very simple on the surface, there's not much to it but difficult enough to be a teachable opportunity.