From: Stephen Kellett <snail@...>
Date: 2006-09-13T00:15:46+09:00
Subject: Re: what is the best non-rails web/ruby development environm

In message <65575f74e803e4136a0615c07a7a6504@ruby-forum.com>, William 
Crawford <wccrawford@gmail.com> writes
>'free version'.  I fully realize that good software is hard to write and
>people must eat and all that...  It just doesn't feel right to me.

I thought some people felt this way. I don't understand it. Is it OK to 
make your living using open source languages but not to make your living 
supporting open source languages? Surely those doing the latter are 
potentially helping those doing the former?

Paying for a commercial tool such as Ruby In Steel is simply paying for 
a tool that makes you more productive at your work. That is no different 
to choosing a Mac to do your work rather than buying a bare bones PC and 
installing Linux on it, or buying a stainless steel spade to dig a 
garden. Those that choose the Mac think it will make them more 
productive than the Windows/Linux option. The Mac is a proprietary box 
with a lot of, but not all, open source software.

Finally, if you want to get the mythical "pointy haired boss" that works 
for Big Enterprise Inc. to sign up for Ruby and/or RoR they are going to 
want to see commercial tool support.

Stephen
I'm reliably informed that stainless steel spades are a lot easier to 
use than ordinary ones. Thus, more productive.
-- 
Stephen Kellett
Object Media Limited    http://www.objmedia.demon.co.uk/software.html
Computer Consultancy, Software Development
Windows C++, Java, Assembler, Performance Analysis, Troubleshooting