

Node.js to pass Ruby on Rails in search popularity - arturadib
http://www.google.com/trends/?q=ruby+on+rails,+node.js&ctab=0&geo=all&date=all&sort=0

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Spyro7
This graph is completely useless. It is looking at relative Google search
query volume.

Of course Node.js search queries are rising. There is a lot of noise being
made about the platform, the platform is relatively recent, and people are
curious about it.

Of course Ruby on Rails search queries are falling. It has been out for a
while, and people have become familiar with it at this point.

In other words, they don't need to google for Ruby on Rails when they can just
go to one of the sites that they have bookmarked.

This is not a milestone by any stretch of the imagination.

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gamache
'Ruby on Rails'? Who has time to type _three_ words into the search box?

Compare 'rails' with 'node.js' and you see a different picture:
[http://www.google.com/trends/?q=rails,+node.js&ctab=0...](http://www.google.com/trends/?q=rails,+node.js&ctab=0&geo=all&date=ytd&sort=0)

'node.js' has less than 15% the search volume of 'rails'.

~~~
arturadib
To be fair you'd have to compare "node" and "rails", which is almost entirely
contaminated by out-of-context results.

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riffraff
make the graph smaller, and the RoR decline will be much slower, and the
actual overcoming does not seem too close

[http://www.google.com/trends/?q=ruby+on+rails,+node.js&c...](http://www.google.com/trends/?q=ruby+on+rails,+node.js&ctab=0&geo=all&date=ytd&sort=0)

(or remove "on" from the first and the search volume increases by 30%)

Really, couldn't this be less trollish?

    
    
         node js searches double in one year: 
         http://www.google.com/trends/?q=node.js&ctab=0&geo=all&date=ytd&sort=1

~~~
arturadib
_> or remove "on" from the first and the search volume increases by 30%_

A more thorough analysis would also require factoring in "node.js", "node",
"nodejs", versus "ror", "rails", etc, all with the right intent and right
context. That's really tough.

 _> couldn't this be less trollish?_

This isn't scientific, but it's a milestone nonetheless - aren't all
milestones arbitrary?

~~~
cmelbye
I'm confused, you say that it would be difficult to accurately picture search
traffic, then you say that this is a clear milestone.

Also, I'm sure that the grandparent comment poster is relaxed, it's rather
condescending and irrelevant to tell him otherwise. EDIT: parent comment was
edited after I posted this.

~~~
arturadib
thanks! comments factored in.

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chewbranca
This graph is biased by the fact that you're searching 3 words versus one. I
personally qualify searches with "rails" throughout the day, but hardly ever
actually search "ruby on rails". I imagine most other rails devs do as well,
so this graph is missing a substantial amount of rails traffic.

~~~
arturadib
Agreed. But to be fair one would have to do the same for Node: add "node" and
"nodejs". It'd be tough though, since like "rails" there are multiple contexts
the words can be used. This is just one milestone; not meant as an exact
comparison.

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cjoh
Better headline: node.js surpasses turnips in search popularity:
[http://www.google.com/trends/?q=turnip,+node.js&ctab=0&#...</a>

~~~
jamesgeck0
The scale is off on that comparison too, actually.

turnip 1.00, node.js 0.18

Not only is Node less popular than Rails, it's not even as popular as turnips.

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zedr
Search popularity (especially on Google Trends) does not necessarily mean that
a technology is trending, or that its adoption is increasing.

Take a look at this comparison for the terms "ruby", "python", and
"javascript": <http://www.google.com/trends/?q=python,+ruby,+javascript>

From the graph, it appears that JavaScript's popularity is fading; I'd say
that it has never been higher than in these recent years.

~~~
breakall
Anyone else notice that when you add php, python, javascript, etc into the
graph, all the terms trend down since 2004? Why is this?

~~~
untog
I don't know, but I'd be interested in conducting an experiment. Everyone on
HN google "string split". My first and second results are for C#, which I
program in my day job. JavaScript, which I also use, is 5th. However, Java is
#3, and I don't use that at all.

I'm just wondering if it's possible to search for programming tips without
even specifying your language any more, because Google knows us so well.

~~~
zedr
I mostly code in Python, JavaScript, and C.

When I search for "string split" while I'm logged in my Google Account, the
first SERP returns these results:

    
    
        - 3 about Java;
        - 4 about C#;
        - 2 about JavaScript (towards the bottom);
        - 1 about Ruby.
    

When I'm logged out, I get the same exact results.

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kumarm
Totally not true. Look at the scale. ROR is on scale of 1 and Node.js scale is
0.08. Node.js is searched 0.08 times ROR indicating ROR is 12 times more
popular still.

~~~
AnthonyB3
No, the 1.0 vs. .08 is for the entire eight year period depicted, during most
of which Node.js didn't even exist. What's relevant is the trend and how they
compare right now -- RoR is going down, Node is going up, and Node is right
now nearly as high as RoR. If you change it to show only the last 30 days, RoR
is 1.0 and Node is .87 (i.e., RoR is getting only 15% more searches, not 12
times the searches).

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pavelludiq
Does anybody other that clueless managers actually make tech decisions based
on search popularity? I can see some limited value in choosing one project
over another because of popularity in general, but as long as there are more
than 10 projects using it, popularity is irrelevant compared to other
criteria, like the actual quality of a tool.

Seriously, this popularity contest between node and rails is getting annoying,
open source is not high-school, quit obsessing over useless numbers and write
awesome code.

It's 2012, you can get away with using whatever you like, even Haskell or
Lisp, choose whatever works best for you. On the internet nobody(relevant)
_cares_ if you're a dog(to paraphrase the popular quote).

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f4stjack
I am not sure whether this is a good thing for node.js or not. Because I only
search google if I encounter an error or something that documentation is not
clear on. The search ratio for Rails is quite understandable because of its
user base, more users, more installations, more problems - especially
regarding gem version clashes. But this early search spike in node.js does not
compel me to it, at all. I thought "hmm, people experience problems a lot with
it I guess".

That's my grain of salt anyway...

~~~
scriptproof
As a JavaScript user, when I have a problem to solve, I make a search with
"JavaScript" in the query. This contributes to the popularity of the word. It
could be the same for Node.js or ROR. @chewbranca: the word "rails" has a more
generic meaning than Ruby on rails and may be included in many more queries.

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viana007
Using Insights for Search,
[http://www.google.com/insights/search/#q=node.js%2Cruby%20on...](http://www.google.com/insights/search/#q=node.js%2Cruby%20on%20rails&date=today%2012-m&cmpt=q)

You got more accurate data.

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mtkd
Interesting that it has less velocity than Rails did at inception. Less of a
revolution?

~~~
pragmatic
It doesn't have the 37signals hype machine behind it. For example Ryan Dahl
hasn't appeared on any magizine (that I am aware of).

(note: "hype machine" is either a compliment or an insult based on your point
of view, however they were very successful marketing Ruby on Rails and
themselves. Regardless of my view point, I have to respect that.)

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Shtirlic
I like this trends 37signals, joyent
([http://www.google.com/trends/?q=37signals,+joyent&ctab=0...](http://www.google.com/trends/?q=37signals,+joyent&ctab=0&geo=all&date=all&sort=0))

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adrienc
Try this :
[http://www.google.com/trends/?q=ruby+on+rails,+node.js,+php&...](http://www.google.com/trends/?q=ruby+on+rails,+node.js,+php&ctab=0&geo=all&date=all&sort=0)

;)

~~~
ShiningRay
worse is better?

~~~
leyf
clearly not:
[http://www.google.com/trends/?q=ruby+on+rails,+node.js,+just...](http://www.google.com/trends/?q=ruby+on+rails,+node.js,+justin+bieber)

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tvon
What meaning do you propose we extract from this?

