[pjmlp]

Starting by being available for free with source code tapes, and a commented source code book.

History would certainly have taken a different path when AT&T was allowed to profit from Bell Labs work, as their attempts to later regain control from UNIX prove.

Unfortunately that seems the majority opinion on WG14, only changed thanks to government and industry pressure.

[uecker]

Being free was important and history could have taken many paths, but this does not explain why it is still important today and has not been replaced despite many alternatives. WG14 consists mostly of industry representatives.

[pjmlp]

It is important today just like COBOL and Fortran are with ongoing ISO updates, sunken cost, no one is getting more money out of rewriting their systems just because, unless there are external factors, like government regulations.

Then we have the free beer UNIX clones as well.

Those industry members of WG14 don't seem to have done much security wise language improvement during the last 50 years.

[uecker]

I think this is far from the truth.