[mkohlmyr]

If we have reached the point where basic string manipulation is compared to multithreading in terms of complexity or need for abstraction then we have truly dumbed down the software development profession to a very saddening degree.

I simply can't fathom that you believe such basic constructs of software development would be a bad code smell. I really don't know how you get around using them and manage to do anything remotely interesting and novel.