I agree. However, I suggest considering VB.NET. Don't be afraid of VB.NET. BASIC is syntactically more sensibly written than C derivatives, and starts one off with a more common sense attitude towards language syntax. Start him off with VB.NET, suggesting that he may move to C# when he feels like dealing with the C syntax wackiness, as it's closer to C++ and Java. Better yet, show him hunks of code from both C# & VB.NET, tell him the benefits of both, and let him choose which to start with. He can try both, as switching between the two is not a big deal. M$ is concerned with ease of use, and .NET is their pinnacle. He'll naturally learn object orientation and event driven programming with it, and it's easy to get started with. Java is also a good choice, with the NetBeans IDE (it's now the best free IDE). It's got that open source vibe, and multiple OS'es, including J2ME games on phones. But he'll be more productive initially with .NET. Flash is also a viable choice, although it is much more daunting to get anything done in the Flash programming environment, and then you're stuck with knowing only Flash. In summary: VB.NET, C# .NET, Java, maybe eventually C++. Show him Visual Studio 2008 (free edition) with VB & C# code, and NetBeans with Java code. See if he has a preference, and go from there. Then coach him about the logic basics like if/then, switch statements, etc.

Is this guy just a troll, or is he really this stupid ?