Edsger Dijkstra famously criticized the programming language BASIC, stating that it was almost impossible to teach good programming to students who had prior exposure to BASIC. He believed that BASIC lacked structured programming principles and simplicity, which hindered the development of strong programming skills. However, it’s important to note that Dijkstra’s statement was made in a different era when BASIC was one of the few widely accessible programming languages. Today, there are newer and more powerful programming languages available that can help students develop strong programming skills, regardless of their prior exposure to BASIC. So, while Dijkstra’s opinion was controversial, it was a hyperbole used to prove a point.
https://retrofun.pl/2023/12/18/was-basic-that-horrible-or-better/