[icn2]

It is not just language. It is the platform behind language. You choose python/ruby your stack probably is opensource/linux stack. If you choose c# you probably is stuck with windows stack, (in which you don't have a lot options like open source stack).

[adamors]

> probably is stuck with windows stack

You're also stuck with licenses for everything from your development environment to your web server, database and not to mention operating system.

Compared to Python/Ruby where development cost can be $0.

[marcosdumay]

You are also stuck with the costs of managing those licenses, and the risk of not being in compliance (howerever well you manage them). Both get bigger than the licensing costs when you get big.

There is also the cost hidden in "new developer? Wait a bit while I'll get another license", "what kind of replication? We don't have enough licenses", "no, you can't just create a small project (that can get huge) for solving this small problem, it can't justify the cost in licenses", and other very common situations.

[Sanddancer]

Mono's also free, and works well on unixes, and I've had no problem with components for various FOSS databases. There are some differences between the ms clr and the mono clr, but then again, there are differences between jython and cpython as well.