I am an ardent Ruby on Rails fan, and I admire 37signals for their invention and their software engineering principles. I am not, however, happy about the aura of hipness that surrounds the whole endeavor, and about the fact that any coder who has picked up some Ruby and babbles about 37signals is automatically assumed to be cutting-edge and knowledgeable.
My company, Evolvist.com, recently posted an ad on the 37signals board looking for a Rails coder to help us with the final push to launch. We found a few excellent candidates, but one too many coders with the following carbon copy interview:
“So, tell me about what you do.”
“I follow the 37signals philosophy. I love Ruby on Rails.”
Beware of any religion where blind faith supercedes reason. If a candidate talkes about his utter dedication to the 37signals “philosophy” and the Getting Real “Bible”, great, but make sure he also knows his theology. And, ask this key interview question: what DON’T you like about Ruby on Rails? If the candidate fails to tell you why someone would choose another technology over Rails, move on.
One Comment
I strongly agree. Web is an evolving technology. Nothing can be taken as perfect. RoR is good but can not be the ultimate solution. Nothing is ultimate in this evolving & changing world. The fittest will always survive & others will be extinct.