"I'm interested in JavaScript, for example, but I don't use it more often than a handful of times per year, if that. I wouldn't be surprised if a third of people answering a JS survey were in the same boat. And I'm not worried about the future of JS."
This may or may not counter the point. Your language specifically... per various comments I've read here (esp vs Go language)... targets programmers demanding high-efficiency or low-level usage that are basically using C, C++, Objective-C, Java, or C#. Vast majority are with most in efficiency camp using first two. So, if data self-selected for those, then a third saying No could be a serious failure if the goal was replacing those with significant uptake. At the least, it would be meaningful metric on if Rust was succeeding.
Unfortunately, we need the people responding to represent those groups to be sure. I suggest that whoever has the responses filter out everything but those languages above. Then look at the No's or any problems reported. Then, filter again to get just C, C++, and Objective-C as they're the low-level ones. Then look at the negative responses again. That could get information on uptake in most important targets plus generate ideas for action to take for key demographic.
First of all, it's not "my language". I haven't even worked on the compiler for over a year.
Second, think about C++. A year after it came out, were 90% (say) of C users who had heard of C++ using it? I highly doubt it.
There simply isn't enough data to compare to. So you can look at that number and support any narrative you want by making up what you think a "healthy" number "should" be.
This may or may not counter the point. Your language specifically... per various comments I've read here (esp vs Go language)... targets programmers demanding high-efficiency or low-level usage that are basically using C, C++, Objective-C, Java, or C#. Vast majority are with most in efficiency camp using first two. So, if data self-selected for those, then a third saying No could be a serious failure if the goal was replacing those with significant uptake. At the least, it would be meaningful metric on if Rust was succeeding.
Unfortunately, we need the people responding to represent those groups to be sure. I suggest that whoever has the responses filter out everything but those languages above. Then look at the No's or any problems reported. Then, filter again to get just C, C++, and Objective-C as they're the low-level ones. Then look at the negative responses again. That could get information on uptake in most important targets plus generate ideas for action to take for key demographic.