> bits and pointers--the real foundation of data and data structures Sure, if you're programming a database b-tree or other system level application then these

> bits and pointers--the real foundation of data and data structures Sure, if you're programming a database b-tree or other system level application then these are important. Most developers do not write that type of program. In fact, good higher order data models abstract away implementation details like bits and pointers so that you can focus on things that actually matter - like your domain and what your data describes within it. > No, it's literally about building an OOP-style abstraction of national flags. I'm not sure where you get the "OOP-style" critique. I think this article does a good job of describing an expression-oriented functional style - a natural pairing with a "data-centric" paradigm. It doesn't even mention classes, mutable state, this/self, polymorphism, encapsulation, etc. This is an article for true beginners (it introduces number and strings!) so it makes sense to use a real, tangible thing like flags as an example. Yes _ national flags_, the real things that 99% of people who don't program think of when they hear the word flag.