From: Steve Tuckner <STUCKNER@...>
Date: 2003-08-20T02:17:25+09:00
Subject: Re: Why did you switch from Python to Ruby?

I didn't do the google search but I know of two people who have been on this
list and have left for other languages/environments:

one to Squeak
one to O'Caml

While Ruby is wonderful to program in, it is not the end-all, be-all for all
people and all projects.

Steve Tuckner


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Sean O'Dell [mailto:sean@cSePlsoAfMt.com [REMOVE_THE_SPAM]]
> Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2003 12:04 PM
> To: ruby-talk@ruby-lang.org
> Subject: Re: Why did you switch from Python to Ruby?
>
>
> I may not be the best qualified to answer this, because I looked at
> Python, scowled, and ran before I got to do any serious
> programming, but
>
> I have an interesting question you can ask yourself:
>
> How many posts can you find on Google/Groups (Usenet) from people
> stating they used to program in Ruby and switched to something else?
>
> I would wager you will find zero.  This isn't just pro-Ruby
> FUD, either,
>
> I have a point to make.  Everyone has a reason for plugging their
> favorite language, and you will find arguments for every programming
> language on the face of the earth, even the worst of the worst.  So,
> perhaps instead of basing your decision on the presentation of what
> people have to say (who may not have the charisma to convince you and
> you will run off with the wrong language), try looking around and
> finding who left what languages for what reasons and weigh that
> information.
>
> My point here is, I have yet to hear of a single person who left Ruby
> for another scripting language.
>
> I'm sure people have left Ruby for certain pragmatic reasons ("my job
> requires me to write in Perl" or "Ruby just isn't as fast as
> assembly"),
>
> but I have trouble imagining even one person leaving Ruby because it
> wasn't a good enough script language for them.  You can find
> people who
> never tried it, or tried it for a day and missed their old language
> Perl/Python/Bash/Basic so much they had to go back, but I
> doubt you can
> find any Ruby-expatriates among the group of people who have
> given it a
> solid try.
>
> Go Google for people who left Ruby and count them and enumerate their
> reasons, if any.  Ponder that for awhile.
>
> 	Sean O'Dell
>
> Brandon J. Van Every wrote:
>
> > This question is only meant to apply to people who used to
> use Python,
> but
> > switched to Ruby.  Why did you do so?
> >
> > Motive for my question: I am language / platform shopping and
> comparing the
> > pros and cons of Python, C#, and anything that comes up on the radar
> in the
> > course of it.  A lot of people who know about Python seem to know
> about
> > Ruby.  Someone in comp.lang.python suggested that I should ask this
> > particular question here to get more complete opinions.  The c.l.p
> people
> > are mostly happy with Python and see few if any advantages to Ruby,
> although
> > there is some discussion and dissention.
> >
>