C++ is constantly pushing frontiers and if you're on the bleeding edge, it can be jarring. I just read responses similar to these on Slashdot about the latest release of the boost libraries. Boost is undoubtedly a spicy meatball, but there are some really simple things it does that make my life much easier. boost::shared_ptr and boost::bind alone make C++ a much better language. So why the hate?

Likewise when I see the new features in C++ I take what I can immediately understand and slowly grow into the things I don't. For example the 'auto' feature as really awesome and simple. It alone will save me many lines of code tedious code (and many more avoiding said tedious code.)

I guess I can just be happy knowing that I'll never be fluent in C++. I'll probably never understand how: http://www.boost.org/doc/libs/1_35_0/boost/bind.hpp works. But it doesn't mean I can't use it. Maybe one day I'll get into template meta-programming or maybe I'll forever gape like a tourist at the wonders the library creators bring forth.

The good thing about all these features is you don't have to use them all at once, and for situations where you want to evolve, there's always room ahead. I think for some language zealots, the expanse of the C++ frontier is somehow threatening. It's a bit like saying, I don't understand calculus so I won't use multiplication.