"I’ve found that while I’ve moved on from the Rails scene, the scene has not moved on from me"
The true quality of a community is not just a measure of how forceful or big it is, but how easily it can adapt to change. This quote, plus the fact that the plan for "moving forward" was to pull in another framework wholesale, does not bode well for the Rails community. It by no means indicates that the Rails community is doomed, but it does not bode well.
I'd also like to take this moment to point out that this is yet another indication that the Ruby community != the Rails community. Quite to the contrary, I think you'll find the Ruby community quite flexible and robust when faced with opposition. (Just read some of the recent ruby-talk discussions on 1.8.6 vs. 1.8.7 if you don't believe me...)
"The true quality of a community is ... how easily it can adapt to change."
Very true.
"The fact that the plan for 'moving forward' [is] to pull in another framework wholesale, does not bode well for the Rails community."
Very untrue. In fact, very contradictory to what you first said. The fact that the the Rails community is so willing to adapt to the change that is Merb bodes very well for the community as a whole.
+1 for "the Ruby community != the Rails community." That's a statement worth echoing many times over.
The fact that a guy who's been known to be somewhat of a troll states, anecdotally, that an entire community is still "consumed" by him proves that the community must therefore be in trouble? Don't agree.
Well I think the rails community is adaptable (eg its embrace of merb).
Whilst Zed's rant uncovered the unholy origins of rails sudden "grass roots" popularity - things have changed a lot since then. The community is healthy, you can get things done without a lot of fuss. Its useful.
But yes, ruby != rails, and it will continue on its own path.
"I’ve found that while I’ve moved on from the Rails scene, the scene has not moved on from me"
The true quality of a community is not just a measure of how forceful or big it is, but how easily it can adapt to change. This quote, plus the fact that the plan for "moving forward" was to pull in another framework wholesale, does not bode well for the Rails community. It by no means indicates that the Rails community is doomed, but it does not bode well.
I'd also like to take this moment to point out that this is yet another indication that the Ruby community != the Rails community. Quite to the contrary, I think you'll find the Ruby community quite flexible and robust when faced with opposition. (Just read some of the recent ruby-talk discussions on 1.8.6 vs. 1.8.7 if you don't believe me...)