[pron]

I don't know if this is the reason why people choose C over C++ for some projects, but if language complexity is the reason, it isn't that people are just "so intimidated by the infamous complexity of C++ that they don't even want to bother getting more familiar with it".

In the 90s, C++ was much more popular than it is now. It was used as the go-to general purpose language for all kinds of "serious" software (not addressed by VB or Delphi). Early on, almost everyone was very impressed with the power C++ brought, but after a few years, as codebases aged, it became immediately clear that maintaining C++ codebases is a nightmare. The software industry lost a lot of money, developers cried for a simpler, less clever language, and C++ (at least on the server side) was abandoned en-masse -- almost overnight -- in favor of Java, and on the desktop when MS started pushing .NET and C#. So while today C++ is servicing its smallish niche quite well, as a general-purpose programming language for the masses it actually proved to be an unmitigated disaster. It is most certainly not the case that C++'s infamous complexity is "intimidating"; C++'s complexity is infamous because of the heavy toll it took on the software industry. Which is why, to this day, a whole generation of developers tries to avoid another "C++ disaster", and you see debates on whether or not complex, clever languages like Scala are "the new C++" (meant as a pejorative) or not.

[pikachu_is_cool]

I also feel like a lot of people are biased because of Stallman and Torvald's stance on C++. I kind of have an irrational distaste towards the language, mostly due to their influence.

[nothrabannosir]

And Yosef Kreinin. Not arguing for or against the FQA, but its mere existence catalyzed (not fed) my journey of critical thinking towards C++.

[throwawayaway]

and most of the people in coders at work, including

https://geeki.wordpress.com/2010/11/21/ken-thompson-on-c/

(when this topic comes up, I always find it funny that url's rarely contain ++ or # when talking about the descendants of C)

and apple of course, with their objective c.

[pjmlp]

I find funny that the by investing into JITs instead of optimizing compilers for Java and .NET, C++ managed to get a spot in HPC.

Now both Java and .NET eco-systems are getting there AOT optimizing compilers. .NET with MDIL and .NET Native, Java targeted for Java 10 (if it still goes to plan).

Also, thanks to Oracle's disregard by mobile platforms by not providing neither JIT nor AOT compilers for Java, C++ became the language to go for portable code across mobile OSes when performance matters.

[pron]

> I find funny that the by investing into JITs instead of optimizing compilers for Java and .NET...

But that's because Java is meant to cover a very wide "middle" -- plus maybe a few corners where possible -- rather than every possible niche.

> Also, thanks to Oracle's disregard by mobile platforms by not providing neither JIT nor AOT compilers for Java

Well, it didn't start out that way, did it? But mobile platforms -- because they're rather tightly controlled -- are, and have always been, much more driven by politics than technical merit.