Read my link... just the numbered list if you&#x27;re in a hurry cuz it takes only minute or two. Any discussion of C vs other languages should be able to explain why C is the way it is and why a replacement should be different. If C wins, it should be due to being the best design for systems programming. Any information about C should also be accurate.<p>As pjmp said, article rewrites history by falsely claiming it was first HLL and that it was designed for portability. Neither were true. Additionally, competing languages (even on PDP-11!) had better maintainability, safety&#x2F;security, and ability to code in the large. Many were portable with a few performing as well. BCPL was whatever could compile on a 1960&#x27;s computer: nothing more. C was BCPL w&#x2F; structs and byte-orientation.<p>So, should we start with one of the better languages that resemble good languages of today to define attributes for systems programming? Or should we start with a semi-language that had no design, tons of problems, and all so it could compile on a 1960&#x27;s machine? I think the former is the obvious choice. That those supporting the latter lie about C&#x27;s origin, design, competition at the time, and so on to push it instead is... more disturbing.<p>Hence, me countering it readily.<p>&quot;Aside from NASA or JPL, who would even start a new project in any of those languages, because of one important paradigm?&quot;<p>There were repeatedly languages from that time available. The best for modern 3GL users were Wirth&#x27;s line: industrial Pascal&#x27;s, Modula-2, Modula-3 (especially), Oberon&#x27;s. All were used to write OS&#x27;s on minimal hardware with more readability and safety than C. Ada was rougher but safer and did the job too. LISP and ML derived languages only got better and better over time with Racket &amp; Ocaml being the best today. I&#x27;ve even seen Ocaml used with an 8-bit runtime (!). There were also macro-assemblers that focused on semi-HLL&#x27;s for ultra-efficiency and optimization. LLVM comes to mind. ;)<p>This stuff didn&#x27;t fade into obscurity or only for obscure platforms. Good versions stayed around in industrial form for decades with little adoption while people tried building on something that wasn&#x27;t designed for all its uses. Just compiling on an EDSAC in 1960&#x27;s.