I'd agree there might have been more before, but even back then I didn't see the same level of excitement for the language. For specific uses, sure. But most R

I'd agree there might have been more before, but even back then I didn't see the same level of excitement for the language. For specific uses, sure. But most Ruby use is "corporate" as well - its use is dominated by Rails shops. The "joy of programming" aspect of Ruby is partially embedded even in corporate Rails use, but also outside of it. It may well have hampered Ruby growth, but it's also not something I think would disappear if Ruby use increased.