2026-09-07
My Desire to Learn Rust
On whether we still need to write code by hand, why I picked Go, and finally committing to Rust.
Do we still need to write code?
I've been struggling with whether or not we'll need to manually write code for the majority of projects, given the increasing capabilities of Claude Fable and other models.
I do firmly believe a human needs to be in the loop to make architecture and minor design choices. That's where software engineers with years of experience in infrastructure and a basic understanding of processes will be invaluable.
Where I am now
Most of my coding at this point has been Go and Python. I have basically chosen Go over Python every chance I could, because I simply got more enjoyment out of working with it. That, combined with my distaste for PyPI in general and interpreted languages as a whole. Beyond that, I have some minor experience with C#, HTML, CSS, and TypeScript.
I have little to no desire to actually learn TypeScript at this time, simply because I find myself uninterested in interpreted languages (yes, I know TypeScript compiles to JavaScript). But for some reason I have a desire to learn a lower-level programming language. I've had interest in Zig, C, and Rust, with a fleeting thought of C++. C++ intimidates me, while Zig and C seem like they'd be fun. Somewhere in the middle is Rust.
The Rust problem
Most of the time, Rust was simply not fun to write, and I found myself losing interest in the projects I started in it.
One thing I've always discovered about myself is dissatisfaction at not starting things earlier in my life. I had the opportunity to learn Linux in high school when a friend wanted to learn it, and I refused, thinking it was for nerds. The same thing happened with learning programming: I kept putting it off, wanting to simply be a sysadmin. If I had started earlier and put the bullshit behind me, perhaps I would be years ahead of my current knowledge baseline.
This is where I find myself with Rust. I want to swallow the frustration and work with it on a schedule. Perhaps I will finally lock myself down and do it, especially since I want to migrate my Go RPG toy to Rust.