From: James Britt <james_b@...>
Date: 2005-05-12T07:57:20+09:00
Subject: Re: Redesign 2005, Round Two

David A. Black wrote:
> Hi --
> 
> On Thu, 12 May 2005, Ryan Leavengood wrote:
> 
>> James Britt wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Big agreement.  Advocacy works best when it avoids put-downs and
>>> comparisons (e.g. faster, better, more fun).
>>>
>>> Say what Ruby is, not what other things are not.
>>
>>
>> I agree. But in a sense the current slogan has implications like that:
>>
>> Ruby: Programmers' Best Friend (unlike all those other conniving,
>> back-stabbing evil languages, who only want to hurt you)
> 
> 
> I *knew* someone would mention that :-)
> 
> It still doesn't strike me as confrontational or challenging in the
> same way.  I can't analyze exactly why, but I think it's partly
> because "best friend" is so clearly a metaphor, and fully affirmative,
> whereas "Make programming fun again" (or whatever) is concrete and
> actually says something negative about what the person has been doing.

I agree, though I can see the implication that, if language R is your 
_best_ friend, then languages P or J are merely _good_ friends.  But 
don't lend them big sums of money or expect them to show up after 
promising to help you move, the bastards.


> 
> Then again, for all I know people do react defensively to the "best
> friend" thing too.

See, on the other hand, that's part of the fun.  :)


James