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Should I learn Node.js or Ruby on Rails?
Node.js is a concurrency library written with JavaScript, a language from which many web-browser
apps are written. Node.js is a natural progression if you're already familiar with JavaScript
or jQuery.
Why is Ruby on Rails popular?
Ruby on Rails was used for developing a lot of HTTP served applications in Silicon Valley.
It became synonymous with the web startup in California.
Which do you think I should learn?
You can learn both, because neither serves the same purpose. Node.js is an i/o library,
while Ruby is a programming language.
Then what do I compare Ruby to?
You can compare Ruby to express.js, the web framework built on node.js.
I heard a lot of companies were switching from Ruby Rails to node.js. Linkedin and Groupon
are two of those I know about.
Then again, there are more stable and mature asynchronous i/o libraries than node.js you
could learn.
It sounds like node.js is better just because of the interoperability with Javascript and
the associated suite of tools. And that learning it is a natural fit if I want to learn Javascript
for web design.
And node.js isn't a waste if you want to do web design; you just use a webapp-stack like
express.js.
Why was Ruby on Rails so popular?
Ruby is considered elegant code, while Rails supports agile programming. In many ways,
they are both popular because programmers are more productive with them than traditional
.net and Java projects.
The ability to slap prototype projects together works good for a startup. But it sounds like
a lot of the big boys don’t use it.
Unless you plan on moving to Silicon Valley, go study node.js. Leave Ruby on Rails to the
kids who think they are cool but are waiting to be bought out by Apple, Google or Microsoft.
I don't want to learn something that only makes me qualified to work 80 hour weeks for
the hope of stock options, either.