>>28
I also started with BASIC and, while I switched to C quite quickly and dropped the most blatant basicisms with it, I don't think it hindered learning proper programming later on (although it would've been nicer if I didn't waste 10 years).

That said, I don't see >>25 saying that using shitty languages cripples the mind forever''. I may be wrong, but I think he meant something along the lines of most people learn a language and treat every language they encounter later as the same language with a different syntax''. That makes BASIC a horrible first language.