>From: web2ed / yahoo.com (Edward Wilson)
>Reply-To: ruby-talk / ruby-lang.org
>To: ruby-talk / ruby-lang.org (ruby-talk ML), undisclosed-recipients: ;
>Subject: [ruby-talk:18442] Re: Ruby as opposed to Python?
>Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2001 01:31:16 +0900
>
>First let me put on my flame-retardant suit I'm certain this post will
>draw fire from the militants of both camps.
>
>Disclaimer: this is a commercial-market-space argument, and has
>nothing to do with virgins. :)
>
>Comparing Ruby and Python is a waste of time.  Both languages
>drastically improve upon their predecessors.  The real contest isn't
>between Ruby and Python, but rather between Perl & Ruby and Perl &
>Python.
>
>Just as in the olden days no one got fired for recommending IBM, and
>nowadays no one gets fired for recommending the (dreaded) Microsoft,
>so too, no one gets fired for recommending Perl.  Whether Python is
>better than Ruby or visa versa, they will both remain a distant second
>to Perl for a long time to come.  The way I see it, from a commercial
>non-academic viewpoint, the winner of the Python v. Ruby battle, will
>be whoever first to overtakes Perl.
>
>The only way to beat Perl is to be better at the very tasks that
>popularized Perl: CGI, text processing, database connectivity, and
>terse one-liners.  Semantically, both Python and Ruby are undoubtedly
>beyond Perl.  Perl on the other hand, is still much better at Perl
>than either Ruby or Python. Python and Ruby have to become undoubtedly
>better than Perl--at Perl's strengths.
>
>From my following of both the Python and Ruby news groups, it would
>appear that Ruby is on a faster track of overcoming and improving upon
>Perl than Python.  Python evangelists seem to be focused more on
>programming in the large; as a replacement for C++ and Java.  Whereas
>Ruby adopters seem to be focussed more on replacing their use of Perl
>with Ruby.
>
>I have been using Python for a number of years now and just recently
>started using Ruby.  Both are outstanding languages, they both make me
>want to program, like a new car makes me want to drive--just to drive.
>  Sports cars are nice, but there can only be one winner--start your
>engines....
>
>--
>ed

Observe the attitude of Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France. He wants to 
win gloriously, such that at a time when he could conclude the race easily 
when his principle rival german Jan Ulrich crahsed, Lance even waited for 
Jan to get back and did not take advantage of the situation.
Without Jan, not many people are going to watch Lance biking alone to Paris. 
Lance is a great sportman and a clever businessman too.

Whichever language is ahead, the other languages should be kept alive in the 
race to make the victory more victorious. That's the attitude of Larry Wall 
too, in a visit to Japan he even promoted Python and Ruby. At the moment 
Larry Wall seems to be the Lance Armstrong of the language race.

Dat

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