[hardwaregeek]

I'd recommend reading her interview in Coders At Work. I never realized that compilers were already a flourishing field by the time C came around, and that C actually ended up having some negative effects in compiler dev.

[wglb]

It was more that C hindered optimization research. The interview was awesome as you said.

[sitkack]

C and Unix hindered a whole lot. It was the PHP of its day.

[martinlaz]

Nice analogy. Although it's very unlikely that PHP will ever be as highly regarded as are C and Unix today.

[tomsmeding]

I wanted to say that C is not really very highly regarded nowadays, but that only adds extra php-directed snark to your post, which is not wholly a bad thing.

[gvjddbnvdrbv]

Have you used modern PHP? Its a great language these days.

[wglb]

I am struggling to understand your analogy here?

[anitil]

Ordered the book, but would you be willing to go in to the issues around C while I wait for it to arrive?

[wglb]

I don't have the book in my office, but essentially

"In our conversation she talks about what that transition was like as well as why it is important to increase the diversity in the field and how C has grievously wounded the study of computer science."

[gavreh]

Looks like a great book, will read - thanks for the recommendation.

[AnimalMuppet]

How did C have negative effects on compiler dev? Did everyone else get a lobotomy, and forget how to do what they already knew?

[wglb]

It was more that C hindered optimization research.