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.