# Ruby advocacy **URL:** \ **Category:** ruby-talk\ **Created:** [9 February 2004 21:44 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/ruby-advocacy/10071 "2004-02-09T21:44:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ara.T.Howard6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/958977/32.png) [@Ara.T.Howard6](https://rubytalk.org/u/Ara.T.Howard6)\ **Post date:** [9 February 2004 21:44 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/ruby-advocacy/10071/1 "2004-02-09T21:44:58Z")
one of the groups in our lab is looking into languages for a new project. they are considering python, ruby, perl, and a few others. aside from the obvious ones (pickaxe, ruby way, [www.ruby-lang.org](http://www.ruby-lang.org), etc) are there any convincing resources people would reccomend as useful for convincing project manager types that ruby is _the_ way to go? i’ve see quite a few slides and presentations over the years - but wonder which are most up to date and relevant, esp. ones people have personally found useful. thanks for any info. -a > **···** > > – > > ATTN: please update your address books with address below! > > =============================================================================== > > > EMAIL :: Ara [dot] T [dot] Howard [at] noaa [dot] gov > > PHONE :: 303.497.6469 > > ADDRESS :: E/GC2 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305-3328 > > STP :: [Solar-Terrestrial Physics Data | NCEI](http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/stp/) > > NGDC :: [http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/](http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/) > > NESDIS :: [http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/](http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/) > > NOAA :: [http://www.noaa.gov/](http://www.noaa.gov/) > > US DOC :: [http://www.commerce.gov/](http://www.commerce.gov/) > > > > The difference between art and science is that science is what we > > understand well enough to explain to a computer. > > Art is everything else. > > – Donald Knuth, “Discover” > > > > /bin/sh -c ‘for l in ruby perl;do $l -e “print "\x3a\x2d\x29\x0a"”;done’ > > =============================================================================== ---
**Author:** ![Johnm68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@Johnm68](https://rubytalk.org/u/Johnm68)\ **Post date:** [10 February 2004 03:20 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/ruby-advocacy/10071/2 "2004-02-10T03:20:00Z")
> … are there any > convincing resources people would reccomend as useful for convincing project > manager types that ruby is _the_ way to go? The best form of convincing is accomplished by applying each candidate language to the same small trial project to see which one best fits your needs, expectations, work philosophy and end-user abilities. Your lab group will accept the results far more readily if they have input into the selection process. Management approval is also far easier when your growing collection of testimonial-based assertions is supported with measured results that exactly match your group’s localized needs. John ---
**Author:** ![David\_Garamond2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8dc957/32.png) [@David\_Garamond2](https://rubytalk.org/u/David_Garamond2)\ **Post date:** [10 February 2004 06:08 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/ruby-advocacy/10071/3 "2004-02-10T06:08:44Z")
Ara.T.Howard wrote: > one of the groups in our lab is looking into languages for a new project. > they are considering python, ruby, perl, and a few others. aside from the > obvious ones (pickaxe, ruby way, [www.ruby-lang.org](http://www.ruby-lang.org), etc) are there any > convincing resources people would reccomend as useful for convincing project > manager types that ruby is _the_ way to go? i’ve see quite a few slides and > presentations over the years - but wonder which are most up to date and > relevant, esp. ones people have personally found useful. IIRC, one of the things that made Python hit the newstands big time was when it was ‘acquired’ by BeOpen and on their website they had a Success Stories with big names like Google, IBM, etc. and how they all use Python for biggish projects. The web page was kind of corporatish and formal and all that. After that, we began to see Linux Journal doing a cover + special edition on Python, magazine articles and interviews popping up everywhere, etc. Perhaps we can do the same for Ruby… > **···** > > – > dave ---
**Author:** ![Ptkwt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f14d63/32.png) [@Ptkwt](https://rubytalk.org/u/Ptkwt)\ **Post date:** [10 February 2004 07:55 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/ruby-advocacy/10071/4 "2004-02-10T07:55:00Z")
In article [4028754D.9060009@zara.6.isreserved.com](mailto:4028754D.9060009@zara.6.isreserved.com), > Ara.T.Howard wrote: > > > one of the groups in our lab is looking into languages for a new project. > > they are considering python, ruby, perl, and a few others. aside from the > > obvious ones (pickaxe, ruby way, [www.ruby-lang.org](http://www.ruby-lang.org), etc) are there any > > convincing resources people would reccomend as useful for convincing project > > manager types that ruby is _the_ way to go? i’ve see quite a few slides and > > presentations over the years - but wonder which are most up to date and > > relevant, esp. ones people have personally found useful. > > IIRC, one of the things that made Python hit the newstands big time was > when it was ‘acquired’ by BeOpen and on their website they had a Success > Stories with big names like Google, IBM, etc. and how they all use > Python for biggish projects. Kind of like this page?: > **[WebMD - Better information. Better health.](https://www.webmd.com/?RealWorldRuby)** > > The leading source for trustworthy and timely health and medical news and information. Providing credible health information, supportive community, and educational services by blending award-winning expertise in content, community services, expert... > The web page was kind of corporatish and > formal and all that. After that, we began to see Linux Journal doing a > cover + special edition on Python, magazine articles and interviews > popping up everywhere, etc. Perhaps we can do the same for Ruby… I think at this point the magazine articles are ours for the writing. What I mean is if you can write a good article on a subject that somehow involves Ruby you can probably get it published somewhere (Dr. Dobb’s, O’Reilly websites, IBM DeveloperWorks, Linux Journal, Software Developer). At this point there have probably been enough “Intro to Ruby” type articles, what we need are articles showing ways in which you’ve applied Ruby to solve some problem. The magazines aren’t going to come to you begging you to write an article, you need to approach them. For example, I think that Rubyx is good for at least two articles in Linux [Journal|Magazine] (Hint, Hint!): 1. Rubyx: a new source-based Linux distro (I’m sure you can think of a better title, but you get the idea) 2. A new init system based on Ruby I think that perhaps a “What’s new in Ruby 1.8.x” could also get published especially if it focuses on things like syck/YAML (and how Ruby is the first Language to support YAML ‘out of the box’). Come to think of it, perhaps an article on YAML would be in order - one that uses Ruby for it’s examples. I don’t think I’ve seen any YAML articles anywhere. Anybody embedded Ruby into a C or C++ program? I think an article on embedding Ruby would also be good. I’m sure there are lots of other Ruby-related articles out there waiting to be written. The more you get Ruby out there into the computing press, the more exposure it will get. I suspect that a lot of people here on the list are here because they read an article about Ruby somewhere - that’s how I made it here to Ruby-land (Dave Thomas and Andy Hunt’s article on Ruby in the Jan 2001 issue of Dr. Dobb’s got me hooked). All you’ve got to do is give people a good reason to download and install Ruby on their system even if (or maybe especially if) it’s just for fun. Phil > **···** > > David Garamond [lists@zara.6.isreserved.com](mailto:lists@zara.6.isreserved.com) wrote: