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Comment by espeed | Hacker News Reader

Here are the reasons I recommend Python over Ruby:

  * Python is easier to learn (not much syntax)
  * Easier to read (explicit vs implicit)
  * Has a bigger ecosystem (more packages/libraries)
  * Taught at universities so it's easier to find good programmers to help
  * More research/resources going into to its development (e.g. PyPy)
  * Used by more websites/companies so its easier to find jobs

And these are the online Python tutorials I recommend http://www.quora.com/How-can-I-learn-to-program-in-Python/an...

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* Subjective

* False: http://modulecounts.com

* Some American universities.

* Agreed.

* Statistics please.

Here are the Indeed job trends showing Python vs Ruby: http://www.indeed.com/jobanalytics/jobtrends?q=python%2C+rub...

As a relative newb, who got his first real experience with AS3 (flash games), I've put some serious thought into this issue. I've seen that job chart come up a number of times, and it's true that python is bigger now. But clicking on relative gives a startlingly opposite picture:

http://www.indeed.com/jobtrends?q=python%2C+ruby&l=&...

For now, since I've gotten a programming job (yay!) at an iOS shop, I've gotta work on Obj. C. But when the time comes to really get good at a higher level language, it's hard to say which way I'll go.

I've also noticed that python listings on Indeed.com are often optional automation skills for sysadmin or build coordinator jobs rather than pure programming. These are valid jobs but hardly comparable to the dev jobs listed for other languages e.g. "Ruby Developer".

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