> I think D failed to gain widespread traction for other reasons though:

D's selling only proposition was providing C++11 features in a point in time between C++98 and C++11 when the C++ committee struggled to get a new standard out of the door.

Once C++11 was out, D's sales pitch was moot, and whatever wind it had in it's sail was lost and never recovered again.

It's interesting to note that Rust, in spite of all odds and also it's community, managed to put together a far more compelling sales pitch than D.