[ruby-talk:11547] Re: Negative Reviews for Ruby and Programming Ruby

> No.  Life aside, Ruby's "going on" will be very much affected if
> people think it has nothing to offer.  Whatever it's virtues, if it
> can't attract users and developers, it will die.  I certainly hope
> some duff reviews at Amazon won't contribute to that, but I'd like to
> be more sure.

I strongly disagree with you here. Matz isn't going to stop developing it
because 3 nerds didn't like Dave and Andy's book -- I mean,  come on. Ruby
stands on it's own two feet and it need not be hyped up. Ruby has had a good
following for years, it's just not getting out of Japan and sure looks
promising but even if no one else started to use Ruby I seriously doubt that
existing users would drop it and Matz would quit working on it..

> > ... I think we all need to quit worrying about silly things like
> >negative book reviews on Amazon.com (of all places!) posting things to
> >Slashdot and Larry Wall saying something about Ruby at a conf..
>
> Sadly, silly things sometimes matter.

 I don't think this is one of those times though. Ruby did fine before
without books, Slashdot articles and Amazon.com reviews, it will do fine in
spite of all that, not because of all that.

> > ... let people use it who want to use it and don't worry about those
> >that don't.
>
> I'm not worried about people not wanting to use Ruby *if* they are
> well-informed about it.  I am worried that people will not want to use
> it because eg. they think it's a second-rate Python.

If someone is going to choose a programming language based on what two
anonymous people say about it on Amazon.com then I really doubt they're
going very far in the programming world. Programming isn't for everyone --
if people aren't willing to put a little time and effort into researching a
new programming language then they need to take up knitting or something :-)

> Advocacy can be constructive (though sadly it often isn't).  (I
> recommend "Why I Hate Advocacy"
> http://www.perl.com/pub/2000/12/advocacy.html)

Well, you made my point there. Advocacy is harmful probably 90% of the
time.. I say leave everyone alone and let them choose for themselves. If
someone asks me directly, I'll give my opinion on my favorite scripting
language or Unix flavor but I'm not going to waste everyone's time trying to
convince the world that I'm right and everyone else isn't.. It's just
pointless.

Oh, I have read that article, thanks though..

> >Don't worry, code Ruby and be happy!
>
> Yes, I intend to code Ruby and be happy.  But a glib "who cares what
> other people think" won't stop me worrying.

My whole point is that Ruby is going to go on regardless of getting more
people on the Ruby bandwagon and what two people from Amazon or the Slashdot
reads think should be taken with less than a grain of salt..


-Mitch