Ryan Ripley . Com

Test Syntax

Ripley — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:26:32 +0000


require 'rubygems'

class TestClass
  def do_something
    map = { :first => "first", :second => "second" }
    puts map.to_s
  end
end

RailsBridge is Live - An Inclusive Rails Community Project

Ripley — Mon, 04 May 2009 23:24:29 +0000

RailsBridge has officially launched. This community effort was organized to create a more friendly and welcoming Rails community. It’s goal from the start is work with new programmers to guide them through the learning curve through a variety of projects.

The guidelines of the community are simple:

First, do no harm. Then, help where you can.
Bridge the gap from aspiring developer to contributing community member, through mentoring, teaching, and writing.
Reach out to individuals and groups who are underrepresented in the community.
Collaborate with other groups with similar goals.

Hopefully, many more will decide to participate on this great project. This is a great opportunity to work on the problems facing our community in a positive way. Hat tip to Mike Gunderloy for getting the ball rolling.

Stand and Be Counted - It Starts @ the Top

Ripley — Sat, 02 May 2009 03:56:28 +0000

Do you think porn is an appropriate metaphor to be used in business presentations?” — Absolutely. Especially in jest.

–Quote from DHH on Twitter.com

“I doubt simply refraining from having saucy pictures of pole dancers is going to do the trick. If that was all it’d take, it’d be easy beans.”

–Quote from DHH on LoudThinking.com “So how do we get more women into Rails?“

I’m no expert on social relationships and community building, but I don’t see how removing the sexual overtones from technical presentations can hurt the cause. David, you have missed the point, but you’ve asked a good question.

There are 3 immediate ideas that must be understood before anything can get better in the community:

#1 — The tone of the rails community starts at the top (DHH).

The current image of the community is that of the rock star: Do what you want, say what you want, and don’t worry about what other people think because you are better than all of them. You know best. If they can’t take a joke, fuck ‘em. Take pride in being arrogant.

A few examples:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/planetargon/127984254/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rooreynolds/243810133/

#2 — Being edgy for the sake of being edgy is not progressive or “good”

The community is getting older, the adoption rate of Rails is at a high, flapping our arms and doing flashy things really isn’t necessary anymore. Why not focus on delivering an edgy framework and solutions. In otherwords, let Ruby on Rails do the talking. We are not rockstars or rebels… We are professionals: programmers, developers, designers, managers, and thousands of other things.

#3 — Grow Up

The antics and attitudes mentioned above create barriers to entry. Immature men do not attract women. However, they are really good at alienating everyone.

“Professional to me is facade, fake sincerity, political correctness, not offending anyone, and everything else that makes life lifeless.”

–Quote from DHH on Twitter.com

Taken to extremes, I agree with you. However, in the context of normal life this simply means having RESPECT for others. Arrogance and respect do not mix well. At some point, people will have to feel respected in this community or they will either fork the project or drop it all together.

I want a community that is inviting, nurturing, and supportive. I want to have the stigma of working with Rails dropped: Rockstar, snob, lone-coder, etc. Most of all, I want to see RESPECT, MATURITY, and RESPONSIBILTY taken to heart by the community leaders and distilled to the rest of the members. When this is done, new members to the community (including women) will follow.