Basically CS posits that Rails is a technology and a way (in the sense of method I think, not Tao) and there is no Rails community and that the problem isn’t DHH, its people who complain about behavior outside the sphere of technology. He’s used in personal projects and DHH is successful so that all controversy is jealousy.

As I said on his blog: Sure, there is no Rails or Ruby community. But then why write this? And submit it to Rubyflow, a Ruby community site?

Correction: “First of all, Rails is a tool and a way. Not a community, not an open source project, not a Messiah and not a democracy.”

I skipped the part about open source project because it was factually wrong, though immaterial to your or my point, and the messiah and democracy part because they didn’t change the point about it merely being a tool and a way, not a community, they merely underscored it, assuming the acceptance of your premise. Correction noted, and I apologize for a poor paraphrasing, but what is the significant distinction between the paraphrase and the original?

And again, if true, why write your post and then submit to RubyFlow? Unless it is that you are trying to influence a group of people who are involved with an open source project that you are involved with (often called a community). Publishing and promoting points of view are social actions.

@planetmcd

this post is my opinion about the pr0n story which is followed on rubyflow, so i’ve posted here.

you think i’m talking about ruby and rails is not a community … wrong! i’m talking about rails is not a ‘regular’ community as Apache or Debian or others are.

reading in last days almost everything about the rails community and dhh written by non-ror people i had the feeling they are wrong. in my post i was trying to reflect this, emphasizing the problem is not with rails or dhh but with them, those who seek popularity by blaming a success.

and yes, this post might not be interesting for the ruby and rails community, but i hope it is interesting for others. and maybe the readers of rubyflow will pass through this message to other sites where it might help the rails case.

CS, As for your post, my point is that by writing and submitting it, you’ve engaged in a social action, in a ruby community or community-like forum. If you really were keen on your own advice of minding your own business, you wouldn’t have made the post. Or if you don’t believe there is a community to influence, you’d have not made the post here, but at reddit, digg, hackernews or whatnot.

I don’t think anyone is indicting Rails the technology. And what would be the difference between the Rails Community and an Apache community aside from tone and the specific technology. That’s the part I’m missing.

And on your larger point we disagree, success in one area does not mean propriety or success in another. In this case being human enough to treat others who disagree with respect. Particularly when it really costs you nothing but may them.

Your argument suggests that all criticism, particularly not technical criticism, should be ignored. My motive is not jealousy, I can’t say the same for others, but how does that matter if the criticisms are accurate. And while I’m no luminary in the Ruby community, there are those that are bothered by the response to the community. Do you really think _why is jealous? By that same logic, if you disagree with me, you are just jealous of me. I suspect that is not the case, and that you really don’t give a rats arse about me. Why would you? You disagree with me for your own reasons, but they are not jealousy. The same is true for many who don’t like the ton eof the presentation or the reaction from segments the community, particularly some in a leadership role.

Josh Susser’s response is a perfect example of how to embrace the criticism and come out stronger for it.