I'm not a person who particularly had heros when growing up.

A language that doesn't have everything is actually easier to program in than some that do

Unix has retarded OS research by 10 years and linux has retarded it by 20.

C is declining somewhat in usage compared to C++, and maybe Java, but perhaps even more compared to higher-level scripting languages. It's still fairly strong for the basic system-type things.

C is peculiar in a lot of ways, but it, like many other successful things, has a certain unity of approach that stems from development in a small group.

I'm not a person who particularly had heros when growing up.

Obviously, the person who had most influence on my career was Ken Thompson.