>> additionally tests prove things on a very abstract level. if the
>> wright brothers had spent a bunch of time with RSpec they would have
>> theoretically proved their model of a cylinder would have enough
>
> You mean "Unit Tests", right?  The term "tests" encompasses manual
> tests, unit tests, functional tests, integration tests, usability

well, i guess you could say looking at things in a browser is part of
"testing" but thats not the point of this discussion?

i came to ruby cos i like to realize ideas quickly.
premature test cases is like premature optimization.
making a change means fixing a bunch of failing tests...
in the first 24 hours of a project, where you *know* things are likely
to change a lot, then testing + coding is close to 2X the work.

if you're working on a billing system for a bank,
or a demo for a flying pumpkin that blows up at midnight,
the needs are completely different.

but i think the prevailing opine that tests somehow give you more
freedom is relative to your event horizon.

/dc