>The very first systems programming language I ever learned was Rust. This is uncommon compared to many other programmers; you're more likely to find someone who learned C or C++ first before coming to Rust.
It's becoming increasingly common. Rust is my first systems programming language too. I tried to learn C a few years ago but I found it too austere and prickly, which put me off.
Probably because C and C++ are mostly used in system and desktop development.
Rust is taking steps or has been taking steps in this direction too.
It's not surprising that a lot of experienced systems and desktop development engineers looking to getting their hands on the newest tool already have experience or at least familiarity with C and C++.
[−]assimpleaspossi · 2026-10-10 Sat 12:59 UTC ·
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I was going to write that I found this odd. The kid that cuts my grass is going for a degree in CS and told me just yesterday that, in his second year, Java is the language he uses with a little Python. That C was such a struggle and he won't touch it.
For someone getting a CS degree, that just seems so, so odd. Along with that, he's been studying edge detection in images. In his second year. Not to run off topic but, again, I find that so, so odd.
When I was in college at a large Midwest university in 2002 intro cs classes were taught in C. Business majors were required to take cs 101 taught in C. We had a project that required implementing linked lists, oh how the business majors suffered! We all did actually but at least the cs majors could use the knowledge!
[−]randomNumber7 · 2026-10-10 Sat 15:17 UTC ·
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Stuff like this was often done to enforce a minimum IQ.
Very reasonable imo as universitys educated people that get positions with responsibilitys.
That's interesting - to me C is delightfully austere. Most other languages, even much younger languages like Rust, spiral in complexity as they mature. But C hasn't grown much more complex since C99. How many other (mainstream) languages can say that?
It's becoming increasingly common. Rust is my first systems programming language too. I tried to learn C a few years ago but I found it too austere and prickly, which put me off.
Rust is taking steps or has been taking steps in this direction too.
It's not surprising that a lot of experienced systems and desktop development engineers looking to getting their hands on the newest tool already have experience or at least familiarity with C and C++.
For someone getting a CS degree, that just seems so, so odd. Along with that, he's been studying edge detection in images. In his second year. Not to run off topic but, again, I find that so, so odd.
Very reasonable imo as universitys educated people that get positions with responsibilitys.