Armin Roehrl <armin / approximity.com> graced us by uttering:
> I had a long discussion with some die-hard Java and C++ guys trying
> to get the message across that they should at least give Ruby a try
> as it might boost their productivity. I defined productivity simply
> by getting the job done. By job I refer to any code from trivial,
> to prototyping, to full-sized production code.

Sometimes it looks like the newer languages need a marketing division
like Java's in order to be accepted by the industry at large. But
wouldn't it be grand if companies could look at a language's merits
instead of its company's share value?

> What are your selling points?

The first thing I say about Python or Ruby when asked why I prefer them
is:

    They're more fun!

C++ is already looked down upon enough; I don't feel the need to demean
it further. =)

Java, while a very structured and (in the diplomatic words of its
creators) "pragmatic" language, is just a pain in the ass to get
anything done in.

Perl is a very flexible and powerful language and I use it for many
things... except OO.  Perl's OO model is atrocious and convoluted
(though this is said to be changing come Perl6). After more study of
Ruby, I may use Perl less. ;)

Python is a very fun language to program and is currently my favorite,
but this is nowhere near final. It never is. Python suffers from the
same attacks as Ruby:

  - late binding means weak type checking
  - execution speed is less, though Ruby and Python both surpass Java
    in many (but not all) benchmarks.
  - inability to hide source code.

And given enough desire, I could rebutt all three of these points
more completely, but it all comes down to the first reason I cited for
using Ruby and Python:

    They're more fun!

Tim Hammerquist
-- 
Give people enough rope to hang themselves, and they'll usually figure
out how not to, after several successes.
    -- Larry Wall in <199911021845.KAA01167 / kiev.wall.org>