From: Michael Trier <mtrier@...>
Date: 2006-03-01T18:51:18+09:00
Subject: Re: ASP.NET 2.0 vs Ruby On Rails

First, you'd probably get better response from the Rails list.

Given that, I'll tell you my experience.  I've had a custom software
development shop doing .NET work since the betas, so I'm pretty
familiar with that platform.  I've only begun to get involved with
Rails in the past months.  Given that and what I see from ASP.NET 2.0,
my experience is that if you're given a choice, choose Rails.

.NET 2.0 does have a lot of compelling features, and the IDE is
without a doubt the best there is.  Still, all of that comes at a
cost, and at the end of the day you're going to be far more productive
in Rails than on a .NET platform. The elegance and productivity
achievable in Rails is due in large part from the Ruby language. 
You're not going to be able to adequately duplicate that in another
environment like .NET.

Every day that I work with .NET is generally a day spent in a lot of
frustration.  I spend a good amount of time fighting against some of
the "cool" features of the language and the IDE.  Microsoft sells the
"drag-and-drop" features of the platform, but noone (i know anyway)
writes applications that way.  At least not on an enterprise level.

On the hand, right now Rails may or may not be a hard sell, if you're
in some kind of position of selling your services.  The corporate
world, at least where I live and work, has just recently (in the last
two years) begun to embrace .NET wholeheartedly.  They've invested
significant resources in training, platform changes, etc..., mostly
switching from Java or VS 6, and are going to be reluctant to make
another shift so quickly.  That doesn't mean it will not happen, and
it means that if you go the Rails route, you're going to be well
positioned.

Good luck.

Michael