James McGovern:

I wonder if the hypesters in the Ruby community would comment on the fact that learning a new tool or technique actually lowers programmer productivity and product quality initially. The eventual benefit is achieved only after this learning curve is overcome. Therefore, it is worth adopting new tools and techniques, but only

(a) if their value is seen realistically

(b) if patience is used in measuring benefits.

So... C was a mistake - no one knew it back in 1978, so it should have been ignored. Java was an error in 1995 - clearly, it was a waste of time for anyone to learn it. Add in your own favorite language; everyone can play!

I guess McGovern believes that Cobol was the uber-answer, since any new tool that came along afterwards lowered product quality initially. To be enterprisey, you never want to take risks. Stay with the herd.