At both the EclipseCon and TheServerSide Java Symposium last week, two major Java-oriented events, the mantra seemed to be about how to make Java more like Ruby on Rails. Indeed, due to the complexity of Java and the Java Enterprise Edition platform, several Java development framework projects sprang up to provide Java developers with lighter-weight, simpler-to-use options, including RIFE, Seam, Spring, Tapestry and Trails, among others. More info

SYS-CON Events' iTVcon Internet TV Conference & Expo, to be held in New York in 2006, has released information about the four tracks scheduled to be on the program. Track 1 will be of interest to corporate marketing, advertising, product and brand managers Track 2 is aimed at software programmers, developers, website owners and operators Track 3 will provide sessions for advertising agencies, advertisers and video content producers, while Track 4 will be focused on print and online content providers, representatives from traditional media companies, print and online magazine and newspaper publishers, as well as network and cable television business managers. More information can be found at www.itvcon.com. More info

SOA Conference 2007 East More info

FiveRuns and Brightbox announced a strategic partnership to provide an exclusive, bundled offering including FiveRuns RM-Manage Rails application monitoring software with Brightbox?s virtualized server solutions for Rails applications. More info

The Ruby programming language climbed up to the 13th place in the Tiobe index, it deserves to be taken seriously. Bruce Tate is a well know proponent of Ruby. While some people are quick to blame any Java developer who is looking into other languages,in my opinion it's an attitude of weak people. If we want Java keep evolving, we need to look around. I've asked Bruce several questions about this programming language. More info

Web hosting provider CyberHive Web Hosting has announced it is now hosting Web sites created using Ruby on Rails. Ruby on Rails is an open-source framework that enables developers to easily assemble rich and dynamic Web sites, and has set a new standard for ease of development and speed of delivery. More info

DomainRightNow, one of the fastest growing domain registrars and hosting providers, has announced that it now supports Web sites created using 'Ruby on Rails'. Ruby on Rails is an open-source framework which lets developers easily assemble rich and dynamic Web sites. More info

Ruby on Gears is a content plus framework built in 100% Ruby on top of the popular Ruby on Rails. Ruby on Gears provides a turn-key user & administration environment suitable for CRM, Project Management, Document Management, Corporate Intranets, Expert Systems, Vertical Search Engines, Social Information Networks, Corporate Blogging, Public websites and as core code for custom development projects. More info

David Heinemeier Hansson, creator of the programming world's latest star platform, writes: 'In the wake of open source, traditional hiring practices seem like an unnecessarily risky way to hire new employees. Especially for small teams where each hire can make it or break it. Why bet the composition of your collective on abstract indicators, hearsay, and a biased bio?' More info

Open sourcing Java won't matter - it's a non-event. Ruby and Ruby on Rails won't make it in 2007 either. I still do not see a compelling reason to switch. AJAX hype is stronger than I thought mainly because of the life support offered by frameworks like GWT. But still, I'm not going to recommend enterprise IT shops make any serious investments in AJAX. More info