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Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2013 11:44:59 +1100
Subject: Re: Experiences/guidance on teaching Python as a first programming language
From: Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com>
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Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:62122

On Tue, Dec 17, 2013 at 11:39 AM, rusi <rustompmody@gmail.com> wrote:
> I had a paper some years ago on why C is a horrible language *to teach with*
> http://www.the-magus.in/Publications/chor.pdf
>
> I believe people did not get then (and still dont) that bad for
> - beginner education (CS101)
> - intermediate -- compilers, OS, DBMS etc
> - professional software engineering
>
> are all almost completely unrelated

Yes. In esr's essay on becoming a hacker[1] he says:

"""There is perhaps a more general point here. If a language does too
much for you, it may be simultaneously a good tool for production and
a bad one for learning."""

Definitely true, though I think it has exceptions.

[1] http://www.catb.org/esr/faqs/hacker-howto.html

ChrisA