Where are the Ruby on Rails developers?

From as far back as last year, I only know of two Pinoys who are hard core Ruby on Rails developers. That number has not increased by a single soul up to this day. Here’s an email I got from last night for PTB:

I like the blog! Never realized there was a Filipino equivalent to TechCrunch here.

So I’m here in Manila working at ABS-CBN for ten weeks and was looking to hire some Ruby on Rails programmers for a project I have going back in the States. Do you know where I could find a group of fresh web developers around Manila that specialize in Ruby and Ajax especially. We use these technologies: AJAX, CSS, DHTML, Javascript, RubyOnRails, MySQL, Prototype, Scriptilicious.

If you haven’t heard of a couple of them, that’s ok. We really just needs some junior programmers to provide support for my senior programmer back home. Got any resources or friends that might help?

– Shane Walker

Will the RoR developers, please stand up?

What could be the reason there aren’t many, compared to maybe Java, ASP.NET or PHP? Is platform too hard to learn with self-study? Computer schools like AMA or Informatics do not offer them? Not much interest for, yet, another language? Not many projects requiring the platform?

If you or anyone you know wants to take up this gig, I’d be glad to hook you up with the guy.

Abe Olandres

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

https://www.yugatech.com

64 Comments

Eugene says:

18 years ago

I think it’s because the IT schools are not teaching these. IT education in the country is sadly tool-oriented, and the focus of most schools now is on Java, C++, C#, .NET, ASP, and PHP. I don’t even know of any school that teaches non-Flash, semantic xHTML, and CSS-based web design, much less an IT school that teaches RoR, Ajax or even Python web frameworks.

Most of the local developers that know about these current stuff are self-taught and are unlikely to be “fresh web developers.”

IT education in the country is sorely not up-to-date and most aspiring IT students don’t have the initiative to learn new technologies on their own. They would rather be Microsoft-certified.
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beeps says:

18 years ago

PHP is Doomed?

Check Link : http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/programming-and-development/?p=85

Just an additional info.
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Jazzy says:

18 years ago

If i am not mistaken, ruby on rails are for web development only. So if you’re programmer, you’ll prefer a language where you can use in various product development, like mobile application, stand alone apps, games, etc. Java is one of this.

Career wise, there are more opportunities you can fit into.

Sorry, sound biased. I am a java developer.
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Miguel says:

18 years ago

Maybe they were all hired by SyndeoMedia and PiKitchen.

Another reason for the scarcity: those who want to build DIY Rails sites find the hosting too expensive.
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Angelo says:

18 years ago

There is a low-traffic Ruby Philippines Google Group with some RoR developers:

http://groups.google.com/group/ruby-phil

HTH
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ia says:

18 years ago

TechCrunch, founded on June 11, 2005, is a weblog dedicated to obsessively profiling and reviewing new Internet products and companies. In addition to new companies, we will profile existing companies that are making an impact (commercial and/or cultural) on the new web space.

TechCrunch is about the Web scene. PTB is about the general scene. Am I not right?
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es-i-ow says:

18 years ago

Java and .Net are for aspiring employees (not all but most).

PHP and Ruby are for aspiring tech entrepreneurs (you can start an online startup at low cost). PHP and Ruby helped most startups of the Web 2.0 era.
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Jon Limjap says:

18 years ago

Most of those who do know RoR are either consultants or employees that have years on their shoulder vis-a-vis IT experience. Even if you find some, they might be pretty expensive.
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redbaks says:

18 years ago

he must mean Scriptaculous and not scriptilicious! :D

is it because frameworks are not that popular here? most webdev aficionados that i know stick to teh basics like (W|L|X)AMP thingies.

web2.0 hasn’t got to us yet.
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Hamilton Chua says:

18 years ago

I work with a toolkit called OpenACS which uses TCL as the scripting language and runs on AOL Web Server.

I know, I know. TCL ? AOL Web server ? It’s like another dimension of the internet but I assure you TCL and AOL Web server are still very much in use for web development.

If the Ruby on Rails folks are having a hard time finding good developers, you can just imagine how hard it is for us :-)

It seems the only alternative is to hire developers with some solid foundation in the basics and then train them.

However, if he’s looking for HTML, CSS, Ajax and javascript talent, I don’t think there is a short supply of that in the Philippines. Is there ?

If I were to give unsolicited advice to new and upcoming developers I would encourage them to master javascript, css, html and ajax because “all” types of web sites and web applications will use some or all of these technologies regardless of the back-end (e.g. PHP, Ruby on Rails or OpenACS).
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