From: Miles Keaton <mileskeaton@...>
Date: 2004-12-28T20:12:45+09:00
Subject: Re: Best ways to accelerate Ruby's popularity

> online docs on Ruby's primary website (not
> 3rd-party websites) that is similar to those provided by PostgreSQL and
> Python. Maybe we can volunteer to create 'official' ruby docs to be
> hosted on ruby's primary website. 
> When ruby's primary website lists ruby 1.4.6 docs for download and says
> ruby 1.6 docs are not yet ready (as of Dec 28, 2004), it can give the
> wrong impression about Ruby's current pace of activity:
> http://www.ruby-lang.org/en/20020107.html


I agree that as I was getting into Ruby, one of the big turn-offs was
that it always looked like an abandoned project!

Even just two days ago, I went to RubyCentral.org (the people that put
on the Ruby Conference and have the Ruby Codefest Grant program) --
offering to make a financial contribution, and what do I get from
their "contact us" link?
http://www.rubycentral.org/cgi-bin/submit.rb?css=base -- 404 not found

It seems for MOST Ruby-users, Ruby is a hobby, a curiosity, something
to learn to learn "another language".   Well-meaning people set up a
helpful website, but when their day job takes over their life, the
hobby project gets abandoned.

Links of Ruby websites always seem unfinished and ugly.

Rails is encouraging : http://www.rubyonrails.org/

I hope there are more people able to follow-through on their interest in Ruby.
I hope people can collaborate to make a few GREAT Ruby websites,
instead of dozens of unfinished broken ones.
... also ...
I hope Ruby Central Inc becomes a non-profit so some companies and
people can make a tax-deductible contribution to Ruby development.
It would be amazing what one full-time Ruby "teacher and evangelist"
could do if they had good webdesign skills.
I hope Pragmatic Programmers keep writing great books on Ruby, and are
financially rewarded enough to encourage others to do the same.