Ask HN: What stack should I be using?

[smallegan]

I come from a very corporate world (.Net, some Java, etc..) I want to build a fairly simple service that checks to verify if a website is up and gathers some information regarding loadtimes, etc... Nothing that hasn't been done before. My questions isn't HOW CAN this be accomplished but rather HOW SHOULD this be accomplished given the vast number of good "web stacks" out there and my rather limited experience with any of them, I am looking for advice on which route I should take?

[Travis]

Base your stack on the readily available talent to develop in it. If that's you, go with what you know.

Any of the major stacks out there, both FOSS and commercial, will be perfectly fine for what you're looking to do.

[cstrouse]

I think for this type of project Sinatra and MongoDB would work great. I've used this setup to build web services before with great success.

[beatpanda]

As far as the server portion, I am a big fan of nginx. The rest of it doesn't really matter so long as you're comfortable with it.

[brudgers]

Go with what you know unless there is a significant return on paying the dumbtax.

[smallegan → brudgers]

The problem with going with what I know is that it is mostly MS technologies which involve some licensing costs. Also I find that I am more motivated to work on a project when I am learning something new rather than just repeating things I have done before!