This actually helps me understand some aspects of the language that have been frustrating me, thank you! > Another thing is Ruby allows code to be far more com

This actually helps me understand some aspects of the language that have been frustrating me, thank you! > Another thing is Ruby allows code to be far more compact Yes, this I've definitely noticed, and I do really like. The block syntax and proliferation of functional-style stuff is an absolute joy... most of the time. It fits the style of how I like to think about problems, and lets me move very quickly for writing code, but I often find myself confused about what existing code does, and it takes me a while to load the context into my mind when I'm working on something. I think that's because while other languages (like Python) tend to be more verbose, that verbosity leaves room to explain what's going on more clearly. I'm not saying verbosity is always a good thing--I've written enough Java to know that, but I do sometimes find myself wishing there were more 'clues' in the ruby code I deal with to help understand what's going on. Not needing parenthesis and general strangeness around value returning doesn't help, either. Again, I see how it makes code more compact, and that can be a good thing (fitting more relevant code on the screen at the same time), but inasmuch as understanding what's going on quickly, sometimes I wish there were a few more markers :)