From: krf <krf@...>
Date: 2006-08-19T06:10:11+09:00
Subject: Re: Ruby is exploding onto the scene as Java did at the end of	1990s

  Perl/CGI is far more accessible to beginners, both as a
> programming toolset and in terms of what's available at common shared
> hosting providers; Java applets suck; Perl/CGI is more portable (despite
> the Java portability marketing); early server-side Java was a bit like a
> spork in the eye in terms of performance and ease of deployment.

I have to agree with that entirely.  At the time that Java was cranking
up, I was a Linux noob and was using some early version of RedHat.

I worked for endless nights trying to get the Java suite past RH's RPM
dependency hell and just about decided that I would have to stick with C
(which I hate using for just plain user apps).  Then for some reason I
tried Perl (probably because it was the only language that I could make
work besides C) and after a few weeks realised the power of the language
and never looked back.

The code runs on any system, including windows (unless you are trying
really far out stuff), no problems with sub/sub/sub libraries missing. 
The beginner can start with page one of the learning book right off,
rather than get frustrated with install dependencies that he/she can't
possible fix till lots of time goes by.

Ruby is almost the same as Perl from a beginner standpoint.  It isn't
installed with the OS (yet), but getting it is only a matter of
apt-getting, or emerging or whatever.  Then start programming that first
"Hello World" the same night. 

krf