.NET provides a lot of functionality to the developer that lets them write code instead of dealing with minutiae, only he mentions it as a bad thing and its not. With .NET, if you want to dig into something, most likely you can and if you can't write that portion in C++ and wrap it. No sense reinventing the wheel or at least part of the wheel. Are there circumstances where a higher level language is not appropriate? Of course. Does it use more memory? Yes. Is it slower in any way than natively compiled code? Yes. Is it the 1980s? No. Does .NET allow you to be a bad programmer? Yes, but read the next entry. Does any language allow you to be a bad programmer? Yes, maybe in some similar ways but also in completely new ones. There is no difference. If someone is a good programmer, the likelihood is that they are going to excel at any language you throw at them.

I spent 3 years playing World of Warcraft with varying levels of commitment. During the last 6-8 months I was heavily "addicted" I'd come home from work, have a bite to eat, then hit the game to do whatever it was I needed to do before raid. I'd then spend the next hours raiding one of the original 40-man instances. When BC came out, the guild fractured. I quickly became Mage lead (oh fun) and then raid lead (even more fun). After a couple of months I realized that the game was stressing me out and that I needed something new. I then went back to the Horde side and leveled a feral druid from the early 50s where I'd left him. I raid tanked a few times, but I'd had enough. I walked away for a few weeks and finally canceled my account. I'd left WoW for weeks/months before finally leaving for good. The urge to play was always there and always dragged me back in, except this last time. Its been well over a year and a half since I played now and I still get the urge to play. Will I go back? Never. Its an decision people have to make for themselves, but others can prod them into it and make them realize what they are missing. Also realize the draw to MMOs may be the easy sense of accomplishment they provide, that makes it an awefully hard to quit.

As a developer, let me say this. If developers ever become liable for their code, get ready for software prices to skyrocket. We'd then be essentially the same as other individuals in the professional arena. Hey, my salary will triple, but I'll also have to buy the coders equivalent of malpractice insurance. Back when I was in college, this was actually brought up and no good will come of it.

Beat me to it.