I don't think the goal of Rust has to be to unseat C++, just like the goal of Macs is no longer to unseat Windows. Here are some nobler goals:

* be a language that users and non-users believe is better

* be a language that people learn things in before entering the industry

* be a language for solving important problems, if not every problem

* if a billionaire buys C++ and makes it terrible, be an alternative

Edit: unrelated— I really struggle with writing lists on HN. :-(

> I don't think the goal of Rust has to be to unseat C++

Agreed, but it's also true at the same time that projects you would choose C++ for are also very legitimate candidates for Rust. So they are competing, even if that's not the goal of both communities.

> be a language that users and non-users believe is better

Well, lately one person that contributes Rust to the Linux kernel got attacked with ridiculous screaming like "you will never force us to use Rust!" -- and he never did that. So he (or was he somebody else? can't remember now) basically stepped down because it turned out that nobody could challenge his technical work so they started attacking him on every other platform. Inevitably, you get enough of this and want to be left alone. Sad... but that's humans apparently.

As for non-users, even more difficult. But having studies like those of Microsoft and Google that clearly demonstrate that between 60% to 75% of all CVEs are due to memory unsafety, helps a lot.

> be a language that people learn things in before entering the industry

That one is needlessly difficult because a lot of professors are stuck in the early 2000s. Read: they only know Python or JS or Java or C# and they will never learn anything else. Young minds are impressionable so these fossils only perpetuate the problem of indoctrinating people and preventing them from utilizing the innovations in the PL area.

> be a language for solving important problems, if not every problem

Too generic to work, I am afraid. :/

You'll find people on HN arguing that you can solve every problem in the CS area just fine with Brainfuck and that we are all brainless lemmings for not seeing the light. Now replace that language with literally every other and you'll still find people saying the exact same thing...

> if a billionaire buys C++ and makes it terrible, be an alternative

That one is not so bad IMO, be it Rust or any other language really. If this happens the community will still push to do things like they want to, ultimately resulting in a fork if the buyer is stubborn enough.

No money in the world can make people suddenly write terrible code if they are passionate about doing the opposite.