More on the pegs story later...

Today, I've found a really great "summarizing" podcast by the gentlemen over at Rails Envy. In the very first episode I listened to, I was introduced to a few really rather interesting gems and plugins in the works.

The first of which is Rack.

Rack provides a common API for connecting web frameworks, web servers and layers of software in between."

-- rack.rubyforge.org

From the little I've read on this, it's a great means for essentially creating your own frameworks in Ruby and the web server of your choice.  Who's feeling entrepreneurial?  Maybe this will be the start of more ruby web-frameworks.   Mmm, probably not.  In my humble opinion I really believe having Rails and Merb is going to be plenty.  My theory on the two becoming the alpha-dogs of ruby web-frameworks is as follows:

Rails will become the entry-level framework where developers new to the "scene" will rails <project> there way towards a more blissful means of web development.  After a while, maybe some of them will want to take the framework in a new direction, get upset with ActiveRecord or simply become filled with rage when many of their patches to Rails are denied.  Where will they go?  What other option is there?  At the moment; NONE really.

Enter Merb.  Once the new kid on the block has matured into a full version and someone steps out of the woodwork stating "hey, x-app I wrote runs Merb and here are some damn-fine performance numbers to back it up", I'm sure the march out of the rails community will slowly but surely begin.  Merb could quite possibly end up being the "hardcore" framework for Ruby programmers and ultimately get the nod as the "Enterprise Ruby" framework.

So what evidence is there to back up such a claim, Bradford?  Well, let's take a look at Engine Yard.  They're positioned right now with a huge capital investment (US$3.5m) and are now able to bring a full (and paid-for) Rubinius team.  On top of which there has been talk of them open sourcing their hosting platform (whose name I can't recall at the moment).  They already employ (and I believe he owns part of EY) the core developer of Merb (Ezra Zygmuntowicz), so what's to stop them from deploying an end-to-end, SUPPORTED technology stack leveraged on these technologies?  Absolutely nothing, that's what!

Only time will tell, but with the recipe for success that Rails personifies for other framework creators - hopefully, I'm right.