Node.js to pass Ruby on Rails in search popularity | Hacker News Reader

Node.js to pass Ruby on Rails in search popularity

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23 pointsarturadib33 comments

This graph is completely useless. It is looking at relative Google search query volume.

Of course Node.js search queries are rising. There is a lot of noise being made about the platform, the platform is relatively recent, and people are curious about it.

Of course Ruby on Rails search queries are falling. It has been out for a while, and people have become familiar with it at this point.

In other words, they don't need to google for Ruby on Rails when they can just go to one of the sites that they have bookmarked.

This is not a milestone by any stretch of the imagination.

'Ruby on Rails'? Who has time to type three words into the search box?

Compare 'rails' with 'node.js' and you see a different picture: http://www.google.com/trends/?q=rails,+node.js&ctab=0...

'node.js' has less than 15% the search volume of 'rails'.

To be fair you'd have to compare "node" and "rails", which is almost entirely contaminated by out-of-context results.

The only problem with that comparison is the first six example results have nothing to do with "Ruby on Rails".

make the graph smaller, and the RoR decline will be much slower, and the actual overcoming does not seem too close

http://www.google.com/trends/?q=ruby+on+rails,+node.js&c...

(or remove "on" from the first and the search volume increases by 30%)

Really, couldn't this be less trollish?

     node js searches double in one year: 
     http://www.google.com/trends/?q=node.js&ctab=0&geo=all&date=ytd&sort=1

Add to that the top result for just 'rails' is also ruby on rails.

> or remove "on" from the first and the search volume increases by 30%

A more thorough analysis would also require factoring in "node.js", "node", "nodejs", versus "ror", "rails", etc, all with the right intent and right context. That's really tough.

> couldn't this be less trollish?

This isn't scientific, but it's a milestone nonetheless - aren't all milestones arbitrary?

I'm confused, you say that it would be difficult to accurately picture search traffic, then you say that this is a clear milestone.

Also, I'm sure that the grandparent comment poster is relaxed, it's rather condescending and irrelevant to tell him otherwise. EDIT: parent comment was edited after I posted this.

thanks! comments factored in.

In your zoomed in graph. Node.js has increased by about 50%, while R&R has had roughly 0% growth.

I don't see the point you're trying to make.

This graph is biased by the fact that you're searching 3 words versus one. I personally qualify searches with "rails" throughout the day, but hardly ever actually search "ruby on rails". I imagine most other rails devs do as well, so this graph is missing a substantial amount of rails traffic.

Agreed. But to be fair one would have to do the same for Node: add "node" and "nodejs". It'd be tough though, since like "rails" there are multiple contexts the words can be used. This is just one milestone; not meant as an exact comparison.

Better headline: node.js surpasses turnips in search popularity: http://www.google.com/trends/?q=turnip,+node.js&ctab=0&#...

The scale is off on that comparison too, actually.

turnip 1.00, node.js 0.18

Not only is Node less popular than Rails, it's not even as popular as turnips.

Search popularity (especially on Google Trends) does not necessarily mean that a technology is trending, or that its adoption is increasing.

Take a look at this comparison for the terms "ruby", "python", and "javascript": http://www.google.com/trends/?q=python,+ruby,+javascript

From the graph, it appears that JavaScript's popularity is fading; I'd say that it has never been higher than in these recent years.

Anyone else notice that when you add php, python, javascript, etc into the graph, all the terms trend down since 2004? Why is this?

I don't know, but I'd be interested in conducting an experiment. Everyone on HN google "string split". My first and second results are for C#, which I program in my day job. JavaScript, which I also use, is 5th. However, Java is #3, and I don't use that at all.

I'm just wondering if it's possible to search for programming tips without even specifying your language any more, because Google knows us so well.

I mostly code in Python, JavaScript, and C.

When I search for "string split" while I'm logged in my Google Account, the first SERP returns these results:

    - 3 about Java;
    - 4 about C#;
    - 2 about JavaScript (towards the bottom);
    - 1 about Ruby.

When I'm logged out, I get the same exact results.

Totally not true. Look at the scale. ROR is on scale of 1 and Node.js scale is 0.08. Node.js is searched 0.08 times ROR indicating ROR is 12 times more popular still.

That's some ROFLscale right there!

No, the 1.0 vs. .08 is for the entire eight year period depicted, during most of which Node.js didn't even exist. What's relevant is the trend and how they compare right now -- RoR is going down, Node is going up, and Node is right now nearly as high as RoR. If you change it to show only the last 30 days, RoR is 1.0 and Node is .87 (i.e., RoR is getting only 15% more searches, not 12 times the searches).

Does anybody other that clueless managers actually make tech decisions based on search popularity? I can see some limited value in choosing one project over another because of popularity in general, but as long as there are more than 10 projects using it, popularity is irrelevant compared to other criteria, like the actual quality of a tool.

Seriously, this popularity contest between node and rails is getting annoying, open source is not high-school, quit obsessing over useless numbers and write awesome code.

It's 2012, you can get away with using whatever you like, even Haskell or Lisp, choose whatever works best for you. On the internet nobody(relevant) cares if you're a dog(to paraphrase the popular quote).

I am not sure whether this is a good thing for node.js or not. Because I only search google if I encounter an error or something that documentation is not clear on. The search ratio for Rails is quite understandable because of its user base, more users, more installations, more problems - especially regarding gem version clashes. But this early search spike in node.js does not compel me to it, at all. I thought "hmm, people experience problems a lot with it I guess".

That's my grain of salt anyway...

As a JavaScript user, when I have a problem to solve, I make a search with "JavaScript" in the query. This contributes to the popularity of the word. It could be the same for Node.js or ROR. @chewbranca: the word "rails" has a more generic meaning than Ruby on rails and may be included in many more queries.

Using Insights for Search, http://www.google.com/insights/search/#q=node.js%2Cruby%20on...

You got more accurate data.

Interesting that it has less velocity than Rails did at inception. Less of a revolution?

It doesn't have the 37signals hype machine behind it. For example Ryan Dahl hasn't appeared on any magizine (that I am aware of).

(note: "hype machine" is either a compliment or an insult based on your point of view, however they were very successful marketing Ruby on Rails and themselves. Regardless of my view point, I have to respect that.)

I like this trends 37signals, joyent (http://www.google.com/trends/?q=37signals,+joyent&ctab=0...)

Try this : http://www.google.com/trends/?q=ruby+on+rails,+node.js,+php&...

;)

worse is better?

clearly not: http://www.google.com/trends/?q=ruby+on+rails,+node.js,+just...

Or you could try the original statetment only for Germany: http://www.google.com/trends/?q=ruby+on+rails,+node.js&c...

;-)

What meaning do you propose we extract from this?

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