I just wanted to tell you that I think your JRuby program will have a huge affect. This Friday I downloaded Google's new Sketchup like many other people. I've spent the past day or two fiddling with it, including learning the scripting language that it uses: Ruby.
I've written the occasional C++, FORTRAN, and VBA program, and Ruby doesn't look anywhere near as painful. I'd like to see the spread of Ruby, and with this Ruby on Rails concept, it's happening. (http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2005/12/ruby_book_sales_surpass_python.html)
I'd like to do what I can to help - but Ruby is appealing exactly because I have weak programming skills. Instead I'll make a couple of marketing suggestions:
-Latch JRuby onto another project to increase your developer
base. I'd suggest Open Office, which has a scripting framework to add new script languages with java interpreters. OO could add Ruby - if it had JRuby.
-Change the name. No one likes pronouncing letters. Try something like Jewel or Jade, synonyms for ruby that start with J.
Keep up the good work.
