If your new web app isn't too complex to get bootstrapped, you will learn better if you choose a light framework: ruby - Merb or Sinatra, python - webpy, etc...

If your new web app isn't too complex to get bootstrapped, you will learn better if you choose a light framework: ruby - Merb or Sinatra, python - webpy, etc... One of the reasons you see so much disappointment with ruby is people start with rails and that doesn't really help you become a good ruby programmer. It may actually teach you bad habits and keep you from knowing how the language and http requests, and db requests really work (none of which is that complicated). I use ruby over python. Mainly because I picked it up first and don't have a good reason to switch. I use merb as my framework, which is a fine choice, but if I had to start again, I might go with Sinatra. If you do go with Ruby, buy this book: The Ruby Programming Language http://www.amazon.com/Ruby-Programming-Language-David-Flanagan/dp/0596516177 http://www.amazon.com/Ruby-Programming-Language-David-Flanag... I have seen no text that comes close to this new book in teaching Ruby.