[nomel]

> would have at least some familiarity with binary representation and bitwise operations.

There's a whole generation of programmers that aren't interested in, and don't need, "low level" bitwise operations. I would claim that's a "good thing", since it means they're letting someone else do the "boring stuff" by using libraries, allowing them to spend more time solving higher level problems.

When I was going to school, some sort of assembler was the first language you learned. These days, it's usually Python or Java. With a "not real programmers" silliness aside, I hope the tedium continues to decline, and is left for those interested in it, increasing productivity for everyone.

[JohnFen]

> There's a whole generation of programmers that aren't interested in, and don't need, "low level" bitwise operations.

But it's worth understanding them even if you never need to use them. Much like understanding how a computer works at a low level, that kind of knowledge helps contextualize higher-level things and puts additional tools in your toolbox.