Well, by the same token, you can take Python's x = Foo() ... del x as manual memory management, after a fashion (which it is). The kind of manual

Well, by the same token, you can take Python's x = Foo() ... del x as manual memory management, after a fashion (which it is). The kind of manual memory management I'm concerned about is less about having precise control over when memory passes in and out of my program's control, and more about controlling fragmentation and time spent searching for unused memory. For example, would slab allocation--an extremely useful technique for operating systems, databases, &c--be possible in Go? Addendum: I'm not trying to denigrate Go, and I don't mean to suggest having or not having fine control over memory makes or breaks a programming language, because it's a valuable tool in certain instances and a hindrance in others. I honestly don't know whether or not it's possible in Go; I suspect it is, to some extent, although it would no doubt be discouraged by the design of the language.