In his classic, must-read article, "Worse is Better", Richard Gabriel explains why. The victory of the C ecosystems has had a profound impact on computing. One small example is that it produced the need for scripting languages like Perl and Python. The Lisp and SmallTalk based systems had no such need.
Also, I think the author somewhat misses the point with his emphasis on end-user programming. The pioneers of the late 1960s and the 1970s saw the computer as a means to elevate and enhance human abilities. The computer would be an intelligent collaborator; teaching us, helping us think more clearly and more creatively, helping us communicate, and so on. Programming was the means not the end. Imagine, for instance, running R and it actively helps you clean, organize, explore, and analyze your data (with the knowledge of a master statistician) instead of just sitting there passively waiting for you to type some cryptic commands. It is this original vision that, sadly, has not survived.
Also, I think the author somewhat misses the point with his emphasis on end-user programming. The pioneers of the late 1960s and the 1970s saw the computer as a means to elevate and enhance human abilities. The computer would be an intelligent collaborator; teaching us, helping us think more clearly and more creatively, helping us communicate, and so on. Programming was the means not the end. Imagine, for instance, running R and it actively helps you clean, organize, explore, and analyze your data (with the knowledge of a master statistician) instead of just sitting there passively waiting for you to type some cryptic commands. It is this original vision that, sadly, has not survived.