Wedson Almeida Filho is a Microsoft engineer who has been prolific in his contributions to the Rust for the Linux kernel code over the past several years. Wedson has worked on many Rust Linux kernel features and even did a experimental EXT2 file-system driver port to Rust. But he’s had enough and is now stepping away from the Rust for Linux efforts.
From Wedon’s post on the kernel mailing list:
I am retiring from the project. After almost 4 years, I find myself lacking the energy and enthusiasm I once had to respond to some of the nontechnical nonsense, so it’s best to leave it up to those who still have it in them.
…
I truly believe the future of kernels is with memory-safe languages. I am no visionary but if Linux doesn’t internalize this, I’m afraid some other kernel will do to it what it did to Unix.
Lastly, I’ll leave a small, 3min 30s, sample for context here: https://youtu.be/WiPp9YEBV0Q?t=1529 – and to reiterate, no one is trying force anyone else to learn Rust nor prevent refactorings of C code."
You can’t teach old dogs new tricks.
You actually can. And it’s not that hard. I had a 14 year old German shepherd mix, who learned several new tricks before her death. I taught a partially blind 79 year old to use a computer, general internet, and email, and was communicating with her for a number of years before she lost the rest of her vision.
Old dogs, as it were, absolutely can learn new tricks.
Sorry, I just don’t like this idiom, because it puts people in a box in which they do not belong.
Many years ago at work, when PCs started to spread, I taught a 60 years old lady how to use one. She never saw a PC before yet she learned pretty well, and I saw much younger people not learning.
Being willing to learn doesn’t depend on age, it’s a mindset, either you have it or you don’t, and if you do have it, it will last your entire life.
That’s very wholesome to hear! :) Thank you for sharing. I’m glad it’s not the case.
My grandpa taught himself to text when he was 89. He just wrote a translation table:
A = 2
B = 22
C = 222
D = 3
…
You can, but you can’t turn a 30 year project on a dime. They’re understandably frustrated that newcomers keep coming and screaming RUST RUST RUST RUST RUST
yeah but this isn’t newcomers making noise. This is seasoned devs making meaningful contributions, and getting reactionary responses