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Hello, everyone! I see that many of you are attending RubyConf for the first time. That’s fantastic! If you're sitting next to someone new, take about 30 seconds to introduce yourselves. Don't you just love RubyConf? It's an amazing experience, and we’re very glad to have you here.
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Alright, let’s focus back in. The Ruby world is different from what we experience in our daily lives. Often, when we're out in the real world, we encounter that familiar, bored look in people's eyes. But here, in this room, it's just us, and it’s such a relief to share this space together. For those of you who are new, you may not have heard the acronym 'MINAN,' which stands for 'Mattz Is Nice.' Indeed, we are nice here at RubyConf.
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Part of what creates our community is not just our presence online, but the opportunity to gather together like this. I want to express enormous gratitude to those who made this gathering possible. They have put in substantial effort to organize everything, manage the sponsors, and set up the logistics. Major sponsors like OpenGov, BugSnag, Constant Contact, Engine Yard, Ninefold, Stitch Fix, Pluralsight, and Rackspace have made this event feasible.
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This togetherness plays a vital role in building our culture. My purpose here today is not only to show gratitude but also to give you insights into your future. And I promise, by the end of this talk, I’ll share your accurate future with you, but first, I want to take you on a journey through the past, specifically a history of technology.
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Let me start by pointing out that depending on your background, your past may look a bit different. If you're of European descent, your story aligns more closely with mine. However, the histories we all carry serve as tributaries, merging into a stream that eventually leads us to the present moment, where we share this experience.
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The story begins with scrolls, which were first invented possibly as long as 7,000 years ago, with evidence of usage in ancient Egypt around 3,000 BCE. Just to clarify, BCE stands for 'Before Common Era,' which is a modern term replacing 'BC.' Scrolls, made of papyrus, were the latest technology of the time, lacking in spaces and punctuation. Most readers and writers functioned with a shared understanding—they knew what the content meant.
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Scrolls remained the primary medium until about the year zero when Romans introduced the codex, which is what we would recognize as a book with bound pages. Codices offered random access; you could flip through them to find information easily. For the first time, it was possible to read and write simultaneously. Slates and thin wax-covered wood sheets were used with a stylus for temporary records.
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Monks began creating books in scriptoriums—co-working spaces for writing—where they meticulously copied texts. While they focused on religious materials like Bibles, they were human too, dealing with discomfort and commenting on their struggles in the margins. A famous example is the Salter, written in Gothic script around 1300.
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Quills, made from the left wing feather of geese, began seeing use by monks around 600 AD. The process of copying a large book like the Bible was labor-intensive, taking years and requiring a significant number of sheep for parchment. The finest quality parchment, called Vellum, was made from baby sheep, which I've chosen not to illustrate due to its heartbreaking nature.
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By the 1400s, with the invention of the printing press, the landscape of book production underwent a dramatic transformation. Notable developments included the wine press, which made juice extraction far more efficient than traditional methods, and the advent of coins that required innovative production techniques to ensure consistency.
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The invention of paper in China circa 1300 marked another significant technological advancement, although it was less durable than parchment. Johannes Gutenberg emerged in the 1430s as the mastermind behind the modern printing press, combining the wine press, coin-making techniques, and new approaches to text reproduction.
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Gutenberg’s efforts culminated in the production of between 160 and 185 Bibles, making an enormous impact on literacy and accessibility of information. Although he succumbed to bankruptcy, the printing press he developed laid the groundwork for an explosion in the written word. Printing presses multiplied, and the cost of producing printed material diminished as typesetting became less laborious.
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Over centuries, conventions evolved in print shops. The distinction between uppercase and lowercase letters emerged, as did the need for careful management of type resources, leading to innovations in typesetting such as stereotypes created by William G in 1725.
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By the mid-19th century, the Linotype machine revolutionized how newspapers operated. With this invention, the process of typesetting sped up significantly, allowing newspapers to expand from eight to forty-eight pages almost overnight, and explanding the volume of written content available.
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However, amid these advancements, personnel in the composing rooms of newspapers endured tough conditions, culminating in the emergence of cold type technologies that trimmed labor time further. The introduction of computers in the 1960s marked the decline of traditional typesetting, leading to dramatic shifts in the industry.
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Reflecting on this progression, I want to share your fortune with you. Change is the inevitable part of your future; everything will change. The most daunting realization is that all of us will die. Those who are dear to you will pass, some peacefully and others in distress. We all face this reality, and with time, you will find yourself stepping forward in the line of mortality.
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Along the way, you may lose function in your body, find it harder to read, and rely more on devices just to navigate your daily life. Your physicality will evolve as you experience surgeries and other health issues. Importantly, your work will also shift—jobs that exist today may become obsolete due to technological advancements.
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In just a few decades, fields that were once stable may become frontier-like, similar to how Linotype operators faced upheaval. The constant evolution of technology is part of our lives, paralleling the transitions that my father experienced as he adapted to changes in the newspaper industry.
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Despite the challenges of obsolescence, it’s vital to embrace the change. Our futures will stem from innovations and adaptations we make today. Reflecting on everything from mortality to technological evolution helps contextualize the importance of our choices. We are part of a legacy, a tribe defined by our information-sharing capabilities.
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As we forge ahead, we must make choices, consider where technology can be applied, and how we can contribute positively to our communities. Including small acts of kindness and being involved in local charity work helps us define the modern experience we want to cultivate.
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While technology constantly changes, our core values—supporting one another, community involvement, and collective responsibility—serve to unite us. Let's invest effort into the world we inhabit, understanding that our contributions can change lives.
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As I conclude, I challenge each of you to take these lessons to heart. You possess the critical ability to influence others positively. Strive to engage with both personal and communal aspects of life, and actively choose to leave the world better than we found it. Accept the inevitability of change and do not shy away from addressing it.
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Everything is transient, and no matter how daunting life may seem, we can create meaning in our lives and the lives of those around us. Your fortune does not lie solely in what is tangible but rather in the impact you make, rooted in connection and empathy.
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Embrace your journey, remain curious, and let your contributions resonate through time. Thank you!
