Ruby website redesigned

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Overall reaction

  • Many welcome the visual refresh and see it as a sign Ruby is still alive and evolving.
  • Others miss the old, simpler site, calling it more functional and clearer for newcomers.
  • Some find the new look delightful and inviting; others describe it as gaudy or “startup-y.”

Design aesthetics and branding

  • Several people note a distinct Japanese / cartoon aesthetic and like the playful visuals.
  • Comparisons are made to 2000s-era WordPress themes and to certain commercial product sites.
  • Some are uncomfortable with how prominently the creator is depicted and with MINASWAN-style messaging, likening it to quasi-religious branding.

Performance, JavaScript, and progressive enhancement

  • Strong recurring criticism: heavy reliance on JS for a simple marketing site.
  • With JS disabled, users see a “0%” loader, no examples, and even the download link doesn’t appear—seen as ironic for a language site and a violation of progressive enhancement.
  • Complaints about unnecessary loading spinners, multiple fetches for static snippets, Tailwind duplication, unoptimized images, and poor Lighthouse performance.
  • Others argue the JS payload is actually small, instantaneous navigation is nice, and few real users run with JS off; critics are seen as clinging to outdated ideals.

Content, messaging, and above-the-fold UX

  • Some preferred the old “Ruby is …” copy that briefly explained what the language is and why it’s useful.
  • The new tagline (“programmer’s best friend”) is seen by some as vague and uninformative.
  • Several note that above the fold, especially on tablets, the page doesn’t clearly state that Ruby is a programming language, unlike Python/Perl/PHP/Swift sites.

Code examples and interactivity

  • Code snippets are widely praised as well-chosen and illustrative of Ruby’s strengths.
  • But they require JS to load and then an extra click or two to actually run, which people say reduces engagement.
  • Some call this a textbook case where static HTML with optional JS would have been better.

Community figures and testimonials

  • The choice of which community figures to feature in testimonials is debated.
  • Including a controversial framework author on the front page is seen by some as reputationally risky and at odds with messaging about a kind, welcoming community.

Ruby language and ecosystem perceptions

  • Multiple commenters reaffirm Ruby (especially with Rails) as highly productive and enjoyable.
  • Others report frustration with tooling (e.g., LSP support) and describe the broader ecosystem as weaker than Python’s.
  • Some hope the redesign signals renewed investment; others dismiss it as “form over function” matching perceived ecosystem decline.