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Good afternoon, GoRuCo! You almost got quieter when I said that. This is going to be a kind of game show. It's not the type of game show you might be used to in the US; it's something a bit weird and a bit British. Trust me, it's going to be an awful lot of fun! But I need you, the audience, to respond. Okay? I need you to be vocal. So let's try that again, and this time, I want to hear enough noise for 350 people. Okay, good afternoon, GoRuCo! Excellent. I'm going to need three things from you all as an audience.
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The first thing to know is that the game we're about to play is very hard and a huge challenge for the speakers involved. So when you feel they have done well, I need you to raise your voices, put your hands together, and let them know. It’s very daunting being up here, so give them all the encouragement you can. The second thing to know is that the game involves challenges wherein the panelists may put a bit of criticism on what has just been said, and they can be quite subjective. If you feel some of the challenges are a bit harsh, please let us know.
00:01:16.760
The third thing is actually the very first thing because each show starts exactly the same way. I will boisterously welcome you to the show, and once I’ve done that, I will play the piano music, which serves as the theme for the show. As soon as you hear that piano, I need you all to raise the proverbial roof. Can you do that for me, GoRuCo? You're getting better! Okay, here we go! Welcome to Just a Minute!
00:02:08.400
That’s right! Good afternoon, and welcome to a very special edition of Just a Ruby Minute here in the spectacularly oversized fruit that is New York City. My name is Andrew Faraday, and we’re going to play the game of Just a Minute. It's a huge part of British culture and has been entertaining audiences for almost half a decade. It’s now finding a home in the Ruby community.
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So, what’s going to happen in each round? I’ll select one of these witty, insightful, and, of course, terrified individuals currently arrayed before you and give them a topic that’s of some interest to the Ruby development community. They will then have to speak about that topic for 60 seconds without hesitation, including pauses or hedging noises, repetition of words other than the topic sentence they’ve already used in that round, or deviation where they're no longer speaking about the topic.
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Now, if the other panelists discover any of these rules being broken, they can challenge by pressing their buzzers. Some of you can buzz for me now. Excellent! Now, you'll notice one of our panelists has turned green, and the timer has stopped. What will happen now is that I will ascertain the nature of their challenge, and if they're correct, they will gain a point for a valid challenge and take control of the topic. They will then be allowed to continue speaking until the minute is over or until they are, in turn, challenged for exactly the same reasons. Whoever is speaking at the end of the minute gains a point for doing so.
00:03:34.510
And if the challenge is incorrect, the original speaker gains a point for being interrupted and is allowed to continue where they left off. Now, the end of the minute sounds just a little bit like this, and that’s the whole game. A very simple set of rules, but a very difficult set of rules to follow. So now that we know the rules, let’s meet the panel! First up, closest to me, we have the Chief Zealous Officer at Coding Zeal and, in his own words, the Master of Smile Generation, please welcome Adam Cuppy!
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Next, we have a Senior Engineer at Go Spot Check, a huge part of both Cubmo and Bridge Foundry. This is her third panel and she’s a RubyJam veteran. Please welcome Kinsey Ann Durham! Next up, we have the Co-Founder and Director at Ignition Works, a very prolific public speaker and presenter of the Ruby Book Club podcast, Nadia Aden. Last but certainly not least, we’ve got a Senior Developer from the New York Public Library and organizer for eight of the ten years of GoRuCo, right here in New York, Steven Shaw.
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So without any further ado, let’s move on to the first round, appropriately known as Round One! Kinsey, as a returning panelist, you’re up first. Your topic is 'My Startup Idea'.
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So, that's my startup idea! Kinsey Ann Durham for 60 seconds, starting now! My startup idea is the best idea that anyone has ever heard of. It relates to dogs because I am obsessed with that breed of animal, and I really just want to stare at pictures of cute puppies all day. So, my startup idea is to have a website where you can look at these creatures as long as you want. Whenever you're having a bad day or you're not feeling well, you can visit this site!
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[Audience response] A thoroughly mixed response there! I know one of them thought it was all right. I'm sorry, I don’t think I can give you that under the rules of Just a Minute. I forgot for a moment there. It was an entertaining interruption. However, Kinsey, you gain a point for being wrongly interrupted, and you have 22 seconds remaining on 'My Startup Idea'.
00:06:10.789
Before I was rudely interrupted by my teammate to the right of me, I was talking about my startup idea. The great thing about it is you can go back to pictures of adorable puppies and it made people feel better. It’s a simple yet effective concept.
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[Buzzing sound] Ah, hesitation! Yes, definitely hesitation there. So, Kinsey, you get an additional point. You have 3.7 seconds remaining, starting now!
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Anyways, back to my startup.
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So that’s Kinsey Ann Durham showing fine fighting form currently in the lead with three points. Adam Cuppy, you’re up next, and your subject is 'User Stories' for 60 seconds, starting now!
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As we begin to speak about user stories, it reminds me of the first user story I happened to write myself. It always begins with 'If I want to do something of great importance and meaning, I will begin by looking at the way in which the user story is structured for the user.' I transitioned into a massive project that took us forever to deliver because we kept trying to iterate on the story.
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[Buzzing sound] Kenzie, I would say it’s repetition of 'story' because it’s a user story. Yes, you say 'story' twice. It's very definitely in the rules that plural and singular are different.
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So, Kinsey, you gain a point for that. Now, you have the mic for another 36 seconds, starting now.
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I use a tool called Pivotal Tracker to write user stories at my current company called Go Spot Check. I really like the application and it's built in my hometown of Denver, Colorado. It's really nice to use, and I can easily accept or reject the requirements.
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[Buzzing sound] Yes, that was the third 'I.' Kinsey, you have regained control of this topic! 49 seconds starting now.
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I particularly prefer the use of JIRA for its simplicity and raw ability to really hone in on the information needed for any project.
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[Buzzing sound] Ah, Adam speaking at the end of the minute! Kinsey currently leads with four, Adam trailing behind with just three, and Steven and Nadia still in the game. Now, Steven, it’s your moment to shine.
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Your subject is 'How Many Arguments is Too Many?' starting now! How many arguments are too many? This is an interesting question that could refer to arguments in the realm of programming languages or personal relationships. Two types of arguments can be confusing, especially when passed into a function. Also known as a method in Ruby, one might weigh the pros and cons of functions with many arguments.
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[Buzzing sound] Kenzie, that was hesitation, correct! You have 46 seconds remaining on 'How Many Arguments is Too Many?' Starting now!
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I believe arguments can be summed up in correlation to the need of our reason for each method and how many we should accept.
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[Buzzing sound] Adam, how many arguments is too many? It’s difficult to determine. Many arguments often reflect design flaws; however, in development, they may be necessary.
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[Buzzing sound] Ah, yes indeed! It can definitely pose a problem.
00:12:05.240
[Shuffling sounds] Kinzie has six arguments remaining regarding the number of arguments. That sounds like an interesting question, and Steven is about to take another round!
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Your subject is 'Naming Variables' and your time starts now! Naming variables is essential to programming readability.
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I’d suggest naming your variables something descriptive and meaningful. For instance, if you are coding an application about pets, use names like 'DogName' or 'CatAge.' When working on interactive applications, such clear variables lead to smoother coding processes.
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[Buzzing sound] Kenzie, you’re suggesting we be mindful of our variable’s names. Let’s lead and aim for clarity!
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Your subject is 'Who's Who You Should Be Following on Twitter?' Start now!
00:14:03.000
I have a long list of software engineers you could follow on Twitter. They are various developers who share valuable insights.
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[Buzzing sound] Yes! Who's worth following?
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Proceed to check out Adam! Your mic is back, and your time starts now!
00:15:00.000
When I think of who to follow on Twitter, I’d recommend active developers from conferences, such as those here!
