From: Philip Hallstrom <ruby@...>
Date: 2007-04-27T07:27:20+09:00
Subject: Re: Using Ruby in a Corporate Environment

> Surprisingly, while most of the developers are either excited or at
> least open to the idea, there are one or two developers who are
> definitely opposed to Ruby.  (OK, one to be precise:  but there could
> be others who haven't spoken out.)  The objections are that Ruby is
> not used or accepted enough in the corporate world, and that learning
> Ruby won't help them make more money or more marketable (in the St.
> Louis corporate world).  If corporations start explicitly looking for
> Ruby developers they'll learn it, but not until then.
>
> I'm not quite sure how to answer this one.  While I do think that
> something is going to succeed Java, I can't predict the future.  I
> can't truthfully say with assurance that Ruby will be the next big
> thing in the corporate world.  It *might* be, but it might not.
> Personally I'm not concerned about what the next big thing might be; I
> want a language that makes me and my fellow developers happy and more
> productive.  That's good for us and good for the business, I figure.
> I have trouble understanding the narrow, strictly mercenary and
> corporate focused point of view.  Any ideas on convincing these folks?

I can't see how learning a language even if it's not one actively being 
recruited for is a bad thing... I'd much rather hire someone who had used 
many languages than just the currently hyped one.

Seems the more languages you know the easier it is to learn others 
quickly as well

<sarcasm hidden_meaning=+1>
As for their wish to learn it only once corporations want it, that's fine 
with me, because when that time comes I'll not only have years of 
experience with Ruby, but I'll also have projects that have been *in the 
field* for years as well to back up my resume.
</sarcasm>

my 2 cents, -philip