[rglover]

Re: functional programming, yes. Meteor is very agnostic to a specific pattern/structure, so you're able to organize your application however you see fit. There are definitely "automagic" functions that they give you, but it's more of a "box of legos" mindset than "build this model of this airplane and if all the parts aren't organized by the manual, you will fail."

You can bring your own way of thinking and work it into Meteor. The platform has conventions, for sure (e.g. client code vs. server code), but none that force you into a rigid way of writing your code.

Is that what you're asking (I'm not much of a programmers programmer so my terminology is spotty)?

Edit: give it a try, but if you have a preference for writing your apps: work with that. The marketing bullshit is just that: marketing. Meteor is great, but it's not for everyone or every application. Instead of getting caught up in the woo, it's helpful to play with it for an afternoon to see if it maps to your mental model of what an application should (or could) look like. If not, stick with what ya like :)