From: "W. Kent Starr" <elderburn@...>
Date: 2001-05-02T01:18:10+09:00
Subject: [ruby-talk:14498] Re: who uses Python or Ruby, and for what?

On Tuesday 01 May 2001 07:40, Andrew Hunt wrote:
> On Tue, 1 May 2001 10:27:58 +0900, Bryan Zarnett <bryan_zarnett@yahoo.ca> 
wrote:
> > When I was introduced to Ruby, I never said "I wonder
> > if I can write a 20,000 line program." I though, "Can
> > I write an Object Pool" in this language.  That night
> > at a very odd hour of the morning I said I can and
> > then next morning (being a Friday) I showed people my
> > Ruby object pool and started talking about Ruby.
>
> That's exactly right.  Capabilities are much more important
> than size :-)
>
> Of course, it requires management or a client who understands
> that 20 lines to do task A is preferrable to 2000 lines to
> do the same thing.  Unfortunately, not every client is so
> enlightened.  In many places, "elegance" is a dirty word.
>

Well, clients can be educated.

Simple way? "We can do it in <whatever client specifies> for $XXXXX in 3 
months, or we can do it better in Ruby for $XXXX in one month. Your call!"

Except where client has a heavy investment into legacy code which must be 
maintained in-house, simple way works wonders. :-)

In latter case, Unix solutions are done using Ruby to "glue" legacy modules 
until budget allows rewrites; explain to client benefits of rewite :-)

This should work most of the time.

Worst case? Avoid headaches and hassles by telling the arrogant SOB who wants 
to hire your expertise then micromanage every aspect of it to "stick it!" :-)

Unfortunately, for those not in business for themselves, "managers" are 
generally much harder to educate (if at all possible). Those evolved to the 
chimp level have some potential; most, however, are pre-primate. And you 
can't tell them to "stick it". (Well, you can, but the results may be 
painful).

Best solution? Go indie! 

Intermediate solution? Polish your resume and start looking for "clued" 
comapanies.

In the meantime, if you are fortuante enough to have a "chimp", gift them 
with a copy of "the cluetrain manifesto" by Christopher Locke, Doc Searls, 
Rick Levine and David Weinberger, along with (if they have aspirations to the 
technical) a copy of "Programming Ruby" by (well, you _know_). The $60 or so 
investment, if it "takes" is far cheaper than the daily doses of Excedrin 
required to "cope" :-)

If you aren't familiar with "cluetrain" check out http://www.cluetrain.com 

In "net time" 1999 may seem ancient, but in "real time" we are still (and 
will for a few years continue to be) in "hangover" mode, so the thoughts are 
still relevant. Eventually, the "chimps" will evolve, the others will die 
out, and our world will be a happier place for those of us who have to deal 
with "managers", micro or otherwise. ;-)

Regards,

Kent Starr
elderburn@mindspring.com