1. It's JavaScript! JavaScript is a terrible language. The fact that you need to read "JavaScript: The GOod Parts" in order to use the damn thing is an indicator of that.
I don't care that it's supposedly "lispy."
2. Code re-use at every level
Does any project actually do this? Is there any sort of front-end library that actually works both in Node and in the browser? It seems like more of a pipe dream to me. An awesome idea, for sure, but never actually implemented in practice.
3. Strong, responsive and enthusiastic community
This is moot if there aren't good libraries available. There are, but other platforms have far better ones available and I wouldn't count this as a plus for Node.
Maybe you're talking about Reddit or HN headlines, though.
4. Large productivity gains in HTML & CSS using Jade & Stylus
Never used them, but finding a library or framework that works for you is awesome.
5. Wealth of hosting options: No.de, Joyent’s SmartMachine, Heroku, Nodejitsu
You can say the same thing about PHP too. That doesn't make it a good reason to use it.
6. Make your developers famous
Seriously?
7. Developer happiness
HN fame?
The rest if it; yeah... well that's just like, your opinion, man.
That said, Node.js is really well designed. I just wish it was done with some other less dynamic language.
But with a little forethought as you write your code, you can write very complex programs with JavaScript and still have a very readable code-base.
I also think that rather than passing in callbacks, functions that do I/O should return Deferreds which allow for more elegant error handling and better flow control.
I'm not saying you can't write good, elegant code in JS, I'm just saying that you have to fight the language to do it.
It's interesting to read an experience where Node's performance largely pays off when building traditional sites. I've often read that Node's performance really only pays off when building realtime apps. Maybe I misinterpreted, perhaps it was meant more as the large set of features provided by frameworks like Rails/Django transcend Node's performance boost?
There is no Rails equivalent in node, and in general I would say the community is focused on writing code at a slightly lower level than the high level frameworks you might be used to. But if you feel like you've internalized the RESTful MCV design, you may find the performance increase worth the lack of handrails.
Did you start writing lower-level code, or are you using some sort of extensive stack on top of Node?
Our only regret now is not having moved to node.js sooner.
Node and Drupal are completely different beasts. Did you write a new system built on Node, that duplicates what you get with Drupal? Is any of your code public, so others can look into it?
