Favourite SnakesAndRubies quotes

These are my favourite quotes from the SnakesAndRubies event. All errors, omissions and misinterpretations are entirely mine ;-)

About i18n support
David gives a lenghty explanation why RubyOnRails doesn't integrate a i18n framework in the core, yet there are a couple of plugins, he just isn't sure if one is beautiful enough yet or if it's necessary at all to put i18n in the RubyOnRails core.
Adrian: "We've got welsh."

On Javascript
David: "Javascript is - what's the word - horrible. Javascript by hand is pain. Javascript: for some people it fits their brain and they don't mind testing in 15 different browser every time they change a comma and that's cool. But for most programmers they have like an expectation of cause and effect and that expectation jives very badly with Javascript by hand."

How do you envision the world coming to an end ?
David: "I'll scope world meaning software development. I dare say that: If we let sedimentation keep at the rate it's going now. That is do we just build on top of decisions made for too long ago and expect to save the world that way. In other words: if people keep creating new Java applications the world is going to come to an end. We moved on. It was fine for a period and it served a purpose and everything serves a purpose and Ruby will see this day too. The only difference is the day today is for Java and it's not today for neither Python nor Ruby."

The story behind the names:
Adrian: "You could argue that using Django you could do a website with just two fingers." [Refering to Django Reinhardt who could only use two fingers of his left hand.]
David: "Rails sounded cool. You could go really fast if you follow the rails. It didn't have a story, sorry."

On using "not mainstream" languages:
Adrian: "Our response was: With PHP people learn that because they want to get jobs. With Java they learn that because they take computer science courses. With Python you learn it because you love it. Because you want to experience the beauty. I'm sure it's the same way for Ruby. If I'm hiring a Python programmer the chances are that the person is good."
David: "I totally agree."

How do you find people who actually use your framework ?
David: "Well, making a stir. Taking a big target and picking on it. I really recommend Java. It works great. There are so many Java programmers out there. You just have to poke them a little bit and they go like bananas and they link to you like mad. And if you poke them in the eyes they go even better bananas. And that works pretty well breaking through the early awareness wall. Then you probably want to switch horses at some point in the game if you want the Java programmers to come over."

On promoting Python and Ruby:
David: "If people started out doing Python and Ruby they would certainly never ever tolerate what is PHP and Java. It seems like incompatible ways. People usually come in through PHP and Java and then they come to Python or Ruby."