I initially was interested in Rust because of performance + speed + safety, but now I have to say that cargo is a big selling point for me.

I always used to be scared of compiling software myself because I never seemed to be able to get it to work without endless headaches. Now, I generally find it easy to compile Rust programs if they aren't in my package manager, and with cargo install-update https://github.com/nabijaczleweli/cargo-update I find it easy to keep the software up to date. I have higher confidence that I can get hobbyist Rust software working, and the more Rust software I use, the more familiar I am with the ecosystem and the more comfortable I am.

If this was written in some obscure language I wasn't familiar with, I'd be less confident I would be able to run it at all, let alone keep it updated, and I may not bother even trying to install it.

Thank you. I really appreciate you sharing your perspective.

Also, some languages (like Go, C, C++, Rust) make it easier to get relatively self contained binaries, as opposed to a Python or Perl script with a lot of external dependencies that one has to install and manage.