I would say that their number one objections if you guys use Perl is "If it
isn't broken, don't fix it.." Perl is well-known and functional, obviously
it's been working for you guys..

Management types think with the money hair on the back of their neck and
it's their job to keep things running and making money!  They see the switch
from Perl (the well-known) to Ruby (the unknown, to them) as dangerous and
potentially something that could cost them money.. That is a valid concern
as switching programming languages is always dangerous and will always take
time (programmers have to learn the language etc). They should object
initially, I wouldn't have expected any less..

Show them all the things people have written in Ruby (Ruby application
archive), assure them again and again that Ruby isn't bleeding edge, that
it's been around for a long time and there are some good books and a good
support mailing list if you run into trouble etc etc..

If that doesn't work, start lighting fires around the office until they give
you the go-ahead. (Kidding, of course)..

Good luck!!!

-Mitch


----- Original Message -----
From: "Kevin Smith" <sent / qualitycode.com>
To: "ruby-talk ML" <ruby-talk / ruby-lang.org>
Sent: Friday, February 09, 2001 12:54 PM
Subject: [ruby-talk:10633] Re: How to convince management


> ptkwt / shell1.aracnet.com wrote:
> >Managment is understandably suspicious of using Ruby - they've never
heard
> >of it before and they don't know if it is stable.  They say there is no
> >in-house Ruby expertise (actually only myself and one other programmer
> >would be working on the system and I don't think it would be difficult to
> >transition from Perl to Ruby for either of us).
>
> Try to find out what the *real* objections are,
> which may or may not be the stated objections.
> They might be helped by seeing the pickaxe book
> in person, or by reading the interview(s?) with
> Larry Wall that mention Ruby, or by seeing that
> Ruby will be represented at an upcoming industry
> conference, or by the articles in recent
> magazines, etc.
>
> Stability should be addressable. I've used Ruby
> to write two GUI applications (email: 1kloc,
> strategy board game: 3kloc). The highly-respected
> Pragmatic Programmers are using it in their
> professional practice.
>
> In-house expertise shouldn't be a showstopper.
> Surely at some point they'll want to take on
> something that they've never used before. Ruby is
> similar enough to Perl that the transition should
> be pretty easy. Does management have a general
> opposition to trying new things?
>
> There may be some psychology going on behind the
> scenes. Maybe someone is addicted to Perl. Or
> maybe a manager knows Perl but is afraid to learn
> anything new and doesn't want to be left out.
>
> Ask gentle questions to discover the *real*
> objections.
>
> Kevin
>