It was probably a condition of getting funding.

In the NGO world using or funding greenfield C/C++ is a great way to make yourself a social pariah I bet.

A corporation wouldn't care, because they're driven by what makes dollars and cents.

But in non-profits (which Ladybird chose to be part of) it's all about ideology.

The only way to get an exemption is if you're doing AI which he isn't.

C++ is a loaded gun, strapped to your body and aimed at your foot, with infinite bullets automatically firing every second, that requires you to constantly exert 25 lbs of force to tilt the gun and avoid hitting your foot.

Most of the time, you’ll be successful. However, nobody seeing your plight would be shocked if your foot eventually gets blown up. To claim this state of affairs is just fine because you’ve done it for years, pitiable.

Well, there are indeed many ways to shoot yourself with C++, this is why having C++ experts on the team is a good thing. They are supposed to know how to avoid the traps and avoid being lured into the worst parts of C++ and OOP design style.

I have seen very good C++ projects using only the minimal amount of bullshit features, Omar Cornut's Dear Imgui comes to mind as an example.

As Swift beginners, they are less likely to avoid the bad idioms, but this is the kind of thing you only discover late, when the codebase is large enough.

Perhaps, but here’s a question:

Can you really tell me, that any C++ codebase doesn’t have memory safety bugs?

The last decades have shown that almost every C++ codebase has a bug somewhere, as long as you look hard enough. That’s not a good state of affairs.

C++ is a reactionary language. The programmer assumes they are an expert who can use it safely, there’s just a few exceptions or mistakes here and there and that’s normal.

Using memory safe languages is a programmer knowing they will mistakes, that they aren’t that smart despite their best efforts, and mitigating the opportunity.

Avoid near occasions of sin.