✧✦Catherine✦✧May 1, 2024

many of you have seen me speak out against Thiel companies participating in Rust and NixOS development, but I don't think I ever clearly said why

as anyone who has opened and read my bio will know, I'm fine with the existence and use of weapons. no, what I have the problem with is imperialism; and Palantir and Andruil, and their acceptance, is currently the means by which it's capturing our communities

Show threadAurora - NOW celestiallavendar@icedoatmilk@coffeeMay 1, 2024
@whitequark I've seen so many people on Fedi, queer people especially, glorify Rust and proselytize it to anyone that will listen. I just can't understand how anyone could promote a language that is by & for defense contractors and who's own management actively minimizes the involvement of said queer people in Rust's community and development.
Show thread✧✦Catherine✦✧
@spots1000 probably because the same queer people were the ones who built Rust and made it the successful language it is, and we aren't going to concede it just because you find it distasteful
May 1, 2024 at 2:31pmWeb
Show threadAurora - NOW celestiallavendar@icedoatmilk@coffeeMay 1, 2024
@whitequark I wouldn't say I find it distasteful, just disappointing. I'm aware of Rust's history of being queer developed, but it seems these days that those roots are just history and not representative of who develops Rust these days.

I've looked a couple times at what the Rust community is all about, and so far I've only seen two parts:
- Surface level use by queer people for pet projects. Typically something that could be done in any other language in 1/4 the time.
- Heavy use & active development from defense contractors and government organizations using Rust to build missiles, fighter jets, and other weapons of war.

I want to be wrong about Rust. I don't like seeing a queer-made language taken over by government organizations and the queer roots actively and intentionally erased.
Show thread✧✦Catherine✦✧May 1, 2024
@spots1000 so, what are you doing to counteract that, besides looking?
Show threadAurora - NOW celestiallavendar@icedoatmilk@coffeeMay 1, 2024
@whitequark I'm not doing anything. Rust is not my language, and this is not my fight. I say all this as an outsider who has seen only the cursory edges of the Rust community and it's use cases.

I sincerely hope that Rust will have it's image rehabilitated and be back in the hands of those who were originally passionate for its development.
Show thread✧✦Catherine✦✧May 1, 2024

@spots1000 I think that what you say here reads as divisive; instead of allying with those who are fighting the same fundamental fight you seem to be grasping for disagreements. I don't want your hope, I want your actions

it's not a Rust versus whatever-is-your-horse fight after all, we all have the same problem whether we like it or not

Show threadAurora - NOW celestiallavendar@icedoatmilk@coffeeMay 1, 2024
@whitequark To be honest I feel like you are the one being divisive. Originally you were talking about defense contractors co-opting open source development for their own uses, and I am trying to agree that Rust has been co-opted and taken away from the queer community in that way.

To be honest I've been wondering this whole time why we aren't on the same side on this issue, and why you are trying to make me out as the bad guy.

I agree that we all need to protect open source development from being co-opted by corporations, but I'm not sure what you want me to do about it in this particular case. As someone who's never wrote a single line of Rust and doesn't work for a defense contractor there isn't much I can do to help...
Show thread✧✦Catherine✦✧May 1, 2024

@spots1000 > that Rust has been co-opted and taken away from the queer community in that way.

that's an admission of defeat. I would not declare that, nor will you find agreement with me here.

something can be taken away from you only when you stop fighting, or perhaps if you never start

Show threadDr. SobekMay 1, 2024

@spots1000 @whitequark and you also have big companies like (maybe apple), Google and Microsoft that are also writing Rust for serious work, used by billion of people.

The real question is how do we keep the language direction, and community values free from the toxic influences that tend to come with those imperialistic companies.

(Rust guarantees are obviously attractive for the MIC, because of the high-quality needed)

Show threadEsteban Küber May 1, 2024

@spots1000 @whitequark
> I'm aware of Rust's history of being queer developed, but it seems these days that those roots are just history and not representative of who develops Rust these days.

This is erasure of the very real queer people maintaining Rust *now*, not historically.

And of all the industr(ies) forces on Rust, development for the defense industry is probably the most esoteric.