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Original Go compiler was based on plan 9 C compiler (http://plan9.bell-labs.com/sys/doc/compiler.html http://plan9.bell-labs.com/sys/doc/compiler.html) because
by kjksf 11y ago
Original Go compiler was based on plan 9 C compiler (http://plan9.bell-labs.com/sys/doc/compiler.html http://plan9.bell-labs.com/sys/doc/compiler.html) because Ken Thompson and Rob Pike (co)designed and (co)implemented those compilers and they were 2 out of 3 original Go designers/implementers.
Those compilers are at least 16 years old so Pike and Thompson aren't as incompetent as you think them to be.
- sievebrain 11y agoThat just changes the question to why did they base their compiler on an obscure 16 year old codebase? I can guess that the answer is familiarity, but, that doesn't change the negative impact of a low tech compiler on the user base.