Learning machine code for programmers is what Latin is to people. FTFY.

Knowing machine code isn't an academic endeavor for many programmers, much like knowing Latin isn't an academic endeavor for doctors. Understanding the machine at the lowest level is essential for kernel, compiler, emulator, and embedded development, as well as software reverse-engineering. It may be a good idea for many programmers, but for a subset of us, it's mandatory.

On the other hand, a doctor need not know all of Latin (especially the fiddly bits about case and conjugation), but enough to pick out the roots of words they come across. While I'm sure there is a small subset of doctors who actively study medieval literature for, say, bits of age-old wisdom that do hold a grain of truth, for most practicing physicians, they merely ought to have a grasp that, say, renal refers to kidneys, etc.

Similarly, I don't think programmers ought necessarily be able to compose particularly good machine/assembly code. I'd suspect, however, that having been exposed to it at some point will make one be able to handle a broader range of situations better.

"... Knowing machine code isn't an academic endeavor for many programmers, much like knowing Latin isn't an academic endeavor for doctors* FTFY..."*

Poor choice of phrase: Latin, the language is a prereq for Natural Scientists describing phylum. For Doctors Latin is used every day because the physical structure of humans is described in and derived from Latin. This isn't an just an academic pursuit.

I understand what you're getting at btw. But programmers who don't understand MIX probably don't know about Knuth. When I'm writing to HN and use the phrase "programmers" and "writers" I'm neither referring to "Accountants programming Excel" nor "Shakespeare as translated by Lolcats".