I went from literature/language to Rust systems programming in under a year(github.com)
github.com
I went from literature/language to Rust systems programming in under a year
https://github.com/whispem
11 comments
Welp, I guess LLMs truly helped a lot of people.
I'm not seeing mention of "LLM", "AI", or "chat" in tfa. Can you explain why you think LLMs played a role here?
So you trust random comments? I know what I'm talking about.
Some people tell I used LLMs but it's not true. I learned, a lot. It was long but it works now.
I didn't use LLMs for my projects. I learned by myself.
I just don't see the point of denying that. People use LLMs for coding for sure and it is not a bad thing, and no one can automate a full project 100% with LLMs.
What I saw is that you created initial commits one file at a time via GitHub's web UI, with multiple follow-up commits just to remove emojis from your scripts:
https://github.com/whispem/minikv/commit/c611897f05235ea4410...
https://github.com/whispem/minikv/commit/59369fcbb2a94c5dd07...
https://github.com/whispem/minikv/commit/0e86e9e328b21170e77...
https://github.com/whispem/minikv/commit/9a4cedcd30c3a00e7ea...
Care to share why those emojis were there in the first place? I guess the next step is to say the Rust codes are 100% handwritten but scripts/docs are AI-assisted? ;)
What I saw is that you created initial commits one file at a time via GitHub's web UI, with multiple follow-up commits just to remove emojis from your scripts:
https://github.com/whispem/minikv/commit/c611897f05235ea4410...
https://github.com/whispem/minikv/commit/59369fcbb2a94c5dd07...
https://github.com/whispem/minikv/commit/0e86e9e328b21170e77...
https://github.com/whispem/minikv/commit/9a4cedcd30c3a00e7ea...
Care to share why those emojis were there in the first place? I guess the next step is to say the Rust codes are 100% handwritten but scripts/docs are AI-assisted? ;)
I already said that the code was 100% handwritten but the .md files and scripts. I don't see the problem here.
Well that's not true.
> I tend to over-comment my scripts out of habit—no AI tools were involved here (nor elsewhere in the code). https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46662378
> I tend to over-comment my scripts out of habit—no AI tools were involved here (nor elsewhere in the code). https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46662378
huh
I’m Emilie (Em’ on GitHub: https://github.com/whispem). My background is in literature and linguistics – I spent most of my pre-2025 life far away from computers.
I really started programming in January 2025 through the Apple Foundation Program, where I learned Swift, UI/UX design, and how to build basic iOS apps—even though everything felt new and visual at first! That playful intro made me realize I could actually learn to code, so I kept pushing my limits.
Since October 27th, 2025, I’ve been diving deep into Rust and systems development, building projects as a way to understand storage engines, distributed systems, and even the basics like command-line tools. I was even invited to give a talk about my learning journey and beginner perspective at Epitech Marseille on December 16th, 2025, which was an amazing (and slightly terrifying) experience!
My approach is always “learn by building” – no formal CS background, just a lot of note-taking, self-challenges, reading docs, and sharing code/experience in public. If you’re curious about how a non-traditional background can be (sometimes!) an advantage for learning technical skills, or if you’re coming to Rust/systems from outside tech, I wrote down my full path and lessons learned here: https://github.com/whispem/minikv/blob/main/LEARNING.md
Always happy to connect, share tips for nontraditional learners, or just chat about the joys and headaches of learning Rust and low-level systems from scratch. You can find everything (good and bad!) on my GitHub profile.
– Em’