The gunning down of Ruby on Rails

I read a post last night on how the Python based Django web development framework kicks Ruby on Rails “collective” ass. (see: http://predius.org/blog/2006/12/05/why-django-kicks-ruby-on-rails-collective-ass/)

Blegh. I do not like statements like this. According to some tests ran Django is the top performer. Yet there is a lot more production sites out in the field developed on Ruby on Rails than there is on Django. So surely this adds weight when looking at the success of a language? Same for PHP and PERL. Lots of production sites there. A lot more than RoR and Django combined! Still people LOVE to gun down each other. What is extremely ironic is that Rails is (secretly) the benchmark whenever a MVC Framework is developed. No one would ever admit that, but we all know that is true…

One comment made sense in it all:

Up is better than down! Blue is better than Orange! Six is better than ‘Z’! Django is better than Rails!

No, seriously… It doesn’t matter. For most things, the advantages to
one or the other come down to very minor things. (My Django app runs 4%
faster than the comparable Rails app!)

Next… Ruby was only unknown to you. Just because the mass of
mediocre programmers had never heard of Ruby until recently proves
nothing.

Heres what it comes down to… Are you ready for this? …Which one do
you like more? You like Django? Bitchin’. I like Rails. Actually, more
specifically… I like Ruby, and don’t like Python. Its personal
preference, trying to ‘prove’ that one is better than the other leads
nowhere.

Want evidence? Try to find an argument where one side proves that
their language is ‘better’ than another. It doesn’t happen. Its a waste
of time and energy.

Go program something.

Full marks for this remark! True to the bone… So if you are an upcoming young developer, follow this guy’s advice and ask yourself the question: Which one (language / framework) do
you like more? That is what matters in the end…

technorati tags:django, rails, rubyonrails

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3 Comments to "The gunning down of Ruby on Rails"

• Tyler said: On 03/27/2007 at 9:38 am

  I agree, it’s all personal preference. I just installed Ruby last night and I am keen to learn it because they guys over at 37 Signals make it look glorious. So I’ll give it a spin but if I don’t catch on to it, it’s no loss really, I can always go back to PHP. My only issue is trying to find a local hosting service that offers RoR hosting.

• Shaun Dewberry said: On 03/27/2007 at 2:20 pm

  Yep, while the times have changed the story changes little - I remember back in my heavy coding days the fight between Java and C/C++.

  Another point to note is that for me it is not only about which language/framework you prefer, but also about which one will get the job done quickest and easiest. I could develop a blog in Java/J2EE in a few days/weeks, and I know Java a lot better, but with Ruby on Rails it can take as little as 20 minutes without knowing Ruby.

  That saved time is worth more than any language preference alone…

• Stii said: On 03/28/2007 at 8:40 am

  Tyler, locally we have http://www.rubyonrailshosting.co.za/ which starts at R50.00
  Another good (but international option) is http://www.webfaction.com/

  Shaun, I guess we’ll always have that, eh?

Spit it out!

Filed in: Programming, Techie stuff by: Stii