Rails and Merb Merge • Hacker News Board

jon_dahl wrote: post #3

Wow, big news. I'm mixed on this. One of the strengths of Rails was that it was the dominant Ruby web programming framework. This meant that virtually the entire community was behind Rails when it came to web app development - unlike some other languages, which have several frameworks competing for the crown. But Merb has recently started to give Rails a run for its money. Fortunately, the learning curve between Merb…

lol @ Rails being called "the Establishment"

Re: Rails and Merb Merge

#15

Post by bprater » Tue, Dec 23, 2008, 8:34 PM UTC

Wow, completely unexpected! Very exciting!

Re: Rails and Merb Merge

#16

Post by jm4 » Tue, Dec 23, 2008, 8:37 PM UTC

jon_dahl wrote: post #3

Wow, big news. I'm mixed on this. One of the strengths of Rails was that it was the dominant Ruby web programming framework. This meant that virtually the entire community was behind Rails when it came to web app development - unlike some other languages, which have several frameworks competing for the crown. But Merb has recently started to give Rails a run for its money. Fortunately, the learning curve between Merb…

How can the Ruby community splinter between two competing web frameworks? The entire Ruby-using population does not need to agree on a web framework. There can be smaller communities around various projects and frameworks within the Ruby community. In fact, I would think that it would be vital to Ruby's advancement and evolution.

You mention that Rails being the dominant web framework is a strength and in the same sentence remark about how with other languages there are multiple competing frameworks. How, exactly, does this negatively impact developers? On the flip side, how does a merger between Rails and Merb positively impact developers? Developers who don't like Rails had an alternative in Merb and vice versa. How is the elimination of a choice a good thing?

The way I see it, competition here is only a good thing. Why would anyone want Rails to be the only option-- or even the de facto standard-- when it's been shown to be exactly the wrong tool for the job in several high profile scenarios? Don't get me wrong-- I'm not bashing Rails. I'm just saying it's a good thing to have a few more tools in the toolbox. When your only tool is a hammer everything starts looking like nails.

Re: Rails and Merb Merge

#17

Post by chaostheory » Tue, Dec 23, 2008, 8:45 PM UTC

jm4 wrote: post #16

jon_dahl wrote: post #3

Wow, big news. I'm mixed on this. One of the strengths of Rails was that it was the dominant Ruby web programming framework. This meant that virtually the entire community was behind Rails when it came to web app development - unlike some other languages, which have several frameworks competing for the crown. But Merb has recently started to give Rails a run for its money. Fortunately, the learning curve between Merb…

How can the Ruby community splinter between two competing web frameworks? The entire Ruby-using population does not need to agree on a web framework. There can be smaller communities around various projects and frameworks within the Ruby community. In fact, I would think that it would be vital to Ruby's advancement and evolution. You mention that Rails being the dominant web framework is a strength and in the same se…

the problem of too much choice: http://www.spring.org.uk/2007/09/barry-schwartz-on-why-too-m...

Re: Rails and Merb Merge

#18

Post by carbon8 » Tue, Dec 23, 2008, 8:46 PM UTC

jm4 wrote: post #16

jon_dahl wrote: post #3

Wow, big news. I'm mixed on this. One of the strengths of Rails was that it was the dominant Ruby web programming framework. This meant that virtually the entire community was behind Rails when it came to web app development - unlike some other languages, which have several frameworks competing for the crown. But Merb has recently started to give Rails a run for its money. Fortunately, the learning curve between Merb…

How can the Ruby community splinter between two competing web frameworks? The entire Ruby-using population does not need to agree on a web framework. There can be smaller communities around various projects and frameworks within the Ruby community. In fact, I would think that it would be vital to Ruby's advancement and evolution. You mention that Rails being the dominant web framework is a strength and in the same se…

Well, Rack is really changing a lot already with Ruby frameworks. Sinatra is becoming more popular for highly specialized apps, and now you can embed Sinatra and Camping apps into other Rack apps, which includes Rails edge apps.

Basically what's happening is that everything in Ruby is already becoming more modular, shifting toward organized APIs, so this helps move in a direction where you can basically build a customized framework like legos out of a bunch of gems and specialized apps without spending an inordinate amount of time trying to patch things to work together.

Re: Rails and Merb Merge

#19

Post by jon_dahl » Tue, Dec 23, 2008, 8:52 PM UTC

mechanical_fish wrote: post #7

jon_dahl wrote: post #3

Wow, big news. I'm mixed on this. One of the strengths of Rails was that it was the dominant Ruby web programming framework. This meant that virtually the entire community was behind Rails when it came to web app development - unlike some other languages, which have several frameworks competing for the crown. But Merb has recently started to give Rails a run for its money. Fortunately, the learning curve between Merb…

Merb was really creative and innovative, and I'd hate to see that innovation slow down as it becomes the Establishment. All innovations either become Establishment or remain obscure. I'm perfectly happy to see Merb go Establishment. If it doesn't work out... it's not as if the project won't be forked again. Innovation won't stop. It will just have a different name and perhaps some different principals.

Innovation won't stop. It will just have a different name and perhaps some different principals.

That's exactly my hope.

Re: Rails and Merb Merge

#20

Post by awt » Tue, Dec 23, 2008, 8:54 PM UTC

I hope the result ends up being mostly merb. It is just so much cleaner...