That article is really good, because it highlight that Rust doesn't have to look messy. Part of the problem, I think, is that there's a few to many people who think that messy version is better, because it "uses more of the language" and it makes them look smarter. Or maybe Rust just makes it to hard to see through the semantics and realize that just because feature is there doesn't mean that you need it.
There's also a massive difference between the type of C or Perl someone like me would write, versus someone trying to cope with a more hostile environment or who requires higher levels of performance. My code might be easier to read, but it technically has issue, they are mostly not relevant, while the reverse is true for a more skilled developer, in a different environment. Rust seems to attract really skilled people, who have really defensive code styles or who use more of the provided language features, and that makes to code harder to read, but that would also be the case in e.g. C++.
There's also a massive difference between the type of C or Perl someone like me would write, versus someone trying to cope with a more hostile environment or who requires higher levels of performance. My code might be easier to read, but it technically has issue, they are mostly not relevant, while the reverse is true for a more skilled developer, in a different environment. Rust seems to attract really skilled people, who have really defensive code styles or who use more of the provided language features, and that makes to code harder to read, but that would also be the case in e.g. C++.