Two times I have tried, already.

PHP is a very comfy scripting language. Forgiving, pretty straightforward.
I learned it in a few months, at least enough for what I needed.
Then, two and a half years ago, I began looking for a new web development environment.
I boiled the choice down to two options.
On one hand, there was Flash and Flex and Air,
and on the other hand, there was Ruby and Rails.
I didn’t really give the Flash family a spin ; Ruby and Rails were the Hot thing on the web and, after reading a few line of code, I felt closer to Ruby than ActionScript.

Two times, I failed. PHP and the dozen of ongoing project grabbed me back.
Late last year, I gave it another try. Much more determined to succeed this time.
Twelve months, as many books, and hundreds of hours of web browsing have passed since. (_That’s my method for learning. Maybe the subject of another post_).
This time, was the One.
I have made a few web sites in ruby now, and I must say : it’s great.
Sure, you have to embrass a way of thinking, constraints and predefined methods, but the reward is mighty.
Web development is my side pet-project ; I only code 2-3 hours a day (on the good days) so I have to be pretty effective.
Ruby & Rails provides a structure, allowing one to focus on architecture and design, without giving up good and powerful code.
Over the next few posts, I will try and tell a story, share resources, code and advices (sometimes learned painfully), in the hope it can help another nubyist to bootstrap.