> Nimble, modern, highly capable tech corporations that understand that their code is an asset. (This isn’t strictly big tech. Any sane greenfield C++ startup will also fall into this category.)
Oh I see, this is a fantasy.
Keyword is "sane". You can probably count all "sane greenfield C++ startups" on one hand.
It's also just plain wrong. Even the cleanest most beautiful and efficient code is a liability. You sell software, not code.
It's all about the magnitude of the liability, not the direction
Code is an asset in the same way that any process documents in your organization are. They represent codified solutions to problems.
You do not need to re-solve this problem, and when a similar problem occurs, you can adapt the existing solution to the new problem.
Another way to think about it: if code was not an asset, we would delete it immediately after compilation.
Having no code corresponding to the software in service is a bigger liability than having it
The Rust people pursue "solidarity" as a virtue. They don't understand that factions is a way of life, so any sufficiently impactful technology will be "fractured" to some extent. This is a good thing. Unitarity, solidarity, homogenous philosophies—are not, but they would have to learn it the hard way like everybody else.
Good thing they aren't thin-skinned and censorious! Being able to take well-meant criticism in stride is so important, I'm glad that's a core value for them.