From: James Britt <james_b@...>
Date: 2006-03-30T07:25:12+09:00
Subject: Re: Ruby Black Belt

Alex Combas wrote:
> I think the community could come up with something better and more interesting
> than an online test but I do not think that "something" should be
> rubyquiz.com, sorry James.
> 
> rubyquiz.com is a really great source for gaining practical knowledge
> if you already know
> enough about programming and ruby in order to participate.
> 
> The problem with rubyquiz is that there is no continuity, it starts off at
> a very high level, newbies have to search around looking for a simple starting
> exercise, probably picking the wrong one, getting frustrated, giving
> up, and then I look
> for a new exercise to try.. and I get frustrated again ..err.. I mean
> "newbies" get
> frustrated again.. ahem.. anyway..
> 
> rubyquiz also isnt very "fun" in itself ..oh sure, if you find the act
> of programming itself
> to be "fun" then ruby quiz is lots of fun, but then so is every other
> act of programming.

...

> 
> *Fewf* sorry for all the oral spew..
> James dont take this as criticism for rubyquiz, I love what you're
> doing for the community over there.
> I just dont think that its the "next step" to learning ruby that many
> claim it to be.


If you (or anyone else) are as passionate about this as your post 
suggests, then I encourage you to just go and do it.  Make a site, 
however simple, just get it going, invite people to join in, and see 
where it goes.

People can go round and round arguing the merits of something, but a 
working site trumps speculation.



-- 
James Britt

"Programs must be written for people to read, and only incidentally
  for machines to execute."
   - H. Abelson and G. Sussman
   (in "The Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs)