Modern C++ Programming: Busato

A free, giant open-access course on C++ — the famously powerful and famously intimidating programming language behind everything from games to critical software — just dropped a very serious flex: 29 lectures, 2,000+ slides, frequent updates, and coverage stretching from old-school C++03 to futuristic C++26. On paper, it sounds like a dream for ambitious learners. In the comments, though, the real show began.

Some readers were instantly sold, with one calling it a “very nice and solid resource” after only a few chapters. But the honeymoon lasted about three seconds before the community did what the community always does: argue about what “modern” even means. One skeptical commenter basically said, hold on, “modern C++” is a slippery label — does it mean safer habits and easier memory handling, or just a timeline of language versions? That kicked off the classic programming-food-fight energy.

Then came the spiciest complaint: the course may not put memory ownership front and center early enough. In plain English, that’s the whole messy question of who is responsible for cleaning up data and how programmers avoid making expensive mistakes. One commenter called that omission almost ironic, saying it’s the kind of thing beginners need from day one, not hidden in advanced slides. Another commenter zoomed out to the career panic angle: there are lots of C++ jobs, but how do you get real experience without already having a C++ job? And yes, someone also roasted the target audience as hilariously tiny: people who know C and object-oriented programming… but not C++. Brutal, nerdy, and very on-brand.