> Implicit coercion of 2 to a pointer: int *p = 2; Look, you and I know this is horrible and should probably be a war crime, but you have to admit: it's e

> Implicit coercion of 2 to a pointer: int *p = 2; Look, you and I know this is horrible and should probably be a war crime, but you have to admit: it's elegant. The ability to pierce the abstraction with C is the only reason it's on that list. I can teach people how computers actually work without getting to assembly (though it's usually a good idea to go there). It all depends on the goal. If your goal is to understand how computers execute programs, then a little C doesn't hurt. > But it teaches bad habits, which have to be unlearned. Apologies, but you're confused again: you've conflated learning how to code, with learning to be a software engineer. They're related, but less so than you think. In my experience, it is impossible to teach a student a lesson that requires experience without providing them the opportunity to experience it. Teach someone Basic, let them do bad things, then show them the light. "If you give a man a fish" and all that.