Java, especially after generics were introduced, was a pain to use because of the type system. That’s not my opinion, I always found that claim a bit overwrought but it’s true that it was fairly widespread. Dealing with the type system got progressively a bit easier as the language evolved and certain types could be inferred. From the release notes I’ve seen I’ve gotten the impression that similar things have happened with the borrow checker. But people who have gone through the gauntlet have trouble reframing that experience and it’s always difficult to tell if the reputation is still accurate or not.

I am curious what the second language with a borrow checker will look like.