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Hello everyone, can you hear me okay? So welcome to Rooftop Ruby. This is...
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Thank you! This is Rooftop Ruby, a podcast about Ruby, or in other words, Joel's propaganda for his open source project. This is our first ever live show coming to you from RubyConf San Diego. If you're joining us from home via the podcast, welcome and thanks for listening.
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Alright, so I'm Colin, and this is Joel. If you're not already friends with us, you should be. The first thing I wanted to cover is something Joel and I discussed. We weren't sure if we should mention it or not, but I think it is the elephant in the room. So I just wanted to bring it up so we can stop thinking about it.
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I was edged out by Patrick Dempsey this year for People’s Sexiest Man Alive. So yeah, we're not going to let this stand obviously. There's always next year, but obviously, you know, congratulations to Patrick, I guess.
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Hey Joel, how's it going?
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It's going great! How are you?
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Pretty good! I saw a picture of the roller coaster from our trip. How was your first day?
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Hold on, we can't skip past the roller coaster without discussing it! Do you want to tell them about it?
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Okay, so here's what happened. Joel and I met up on Sunday; it's the first time we've ever met. Our friend Tim joined us as we went down to Mission Bay, and I spotted a roller coaster. I was like, we need to do that for the content. It's going to give us something to talk about, and it'll be great.
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We walked almost five miles to a pier, and what was funny about this, Joel, was there was a sign that said 'No jumping.' So I joked to Joel, saying, 'Hey Joel, no jumping!' and as soon as I did, he was like, 'I want to!'
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He started going up as if to jump, and I said, 'Joel, you’re wearing all your clothes!' It doesn't matter; the last time I jumped off something, I broke my ankle. So then we walked back to the roller coaster, where this horrifying wooden roller coaster from 1924 was situated.
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We waited in line and got on it, and things were very chill, and we were all cool about it, right Joel?
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So Colin had the idea to film this and create content, but he won’t let me show the video on the screen. I would describe the sound I made on the roller coaster as a scream you'd expect if someone was stabbing you. It was remarkable!
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And Joel recorded it, so come and find me if you want to see that because it's amazing! Of course, yesterday we got a chance to hang out with all our friends on Community Day.
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How was your Community Day?
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It was great! I spent some time trying to figure out how to share memory between multiple Ruby processes with Aaron Patterson, but we ultimately decided against it.
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Joel was walking around all day thinking about how to create shared memory, convinced there had to be a way. Aaron was the right person to ask, and he did have some interesting insights.
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Ultimately, the complexity we would introduce was not worth it. We've met a lot of great people and hung out with friends, including Roman, who looks just like Mattye Madison, an online chef I like.
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One thing we never get to do is invite our listeners onto the show, so let's bring Roman up for a moment.
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Roman, how did you get here? How's your conference been? Is this your first one?
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It's been great! Oddly enough, this isn't my first tech conference, but it is my second Ruby conference. I was at the first one in Denver in 2021, and I've gotten addicted to the conference community.
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As remote workers, it's our only chance to get face time with the community and to show appreciation for those creating the tools we use daily.
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Once I got involved, I missed performing. I had this proclivity for stalking the conference community. It's exciting to meet your internet friends in person.
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Our friend Marco Roth was there last night, and I mentioned how people can feel different when you meet them in person.
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Marco made a valid point about that, highlighting that it’s hard to disagree with.
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Roman, we have Katherine Rick from Artists Who Code joining us. Thank you for coming! We only saw you sing this morning, which was amazing.
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I'm generally intimidated by singers who are better than me, but I definitely want to know more about how you founded Artists Who Code.
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Yes, I co-founded Artists Who Code with my husband Scott, who co-wrote the piece we performed this morning. Also, a shout-out to Juan Rickord, another team member.
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We are all developers. I performed on Broadway for ten years, and my last show was SpongeBob SquarePants, where I played a computer. Interestingly, my husband is now a software engineer and also a professional musician.
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Our brother Juan is also a product manager and pop artist. We appreciate both the arts and tech worlds, and it’s exciting to bring both together for a live audience.
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So when you transitioned from Broadway to tech, how did that process evolve?
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It’s funny because I started off as a computer science major in college but later switched to industrial engineering. When I graduated, I couldn’t find a job, and I found my way into musical theater.
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Happily, I achieved many Broadway dreams, but the reality was that professional arts often don’t pay well, even when you make it big.
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So I became interested in software engineering, which had always intrigued me. My dad is an engineer, and with a lot of friends working in tech, I learned about coding boot camps.
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I started working at a startup during a period of unemployment, and this experience piqued my interest in coding. I attended a boot camp that included Ruby on Rails and various technologies.
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It's fascinating to hear how the competitive nature of Broadway is similar to the tech industry, especially when trying to land that first job.
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Similarly, many dedicated individuals in the Ruby community often sacrifice for open source, working passionately without much compensation. That same dedication exists in the performing arts.
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During Matz's keynote today, when he talked about the passion in the Ruby community, I felt a connection to my own experience in the arts.
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Tell us more about Artists Who Code. How can people get involved, and what do you do?
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Artists Who Code was born during a tough period in my life post-boot camp. I wanted to provide support and build a community for creatives transitioning into tech, ensuring they wouldn't feel alone in their journey.
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The toughest time often comes after boot camp when individuals are trying to land that first job. Therefore, we wanted to create a structured and welcoming support system.
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Artists Who Code started in the pandemic when I began my job at Stitch Fix and saw my artist friends struggling after the industry shut down.
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We focused on helping people in the arts while encouraging them to pursue tech and creative offers a more sustainable lifestyle without losing their identity as artists.
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We didn’t want to give the impression they had to abandon their art. Instead, we aim to celebrate that part of their lives while providing them with new opportunities.
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I feel this transformation has really changed lives. Getting a first tech job was monumental for me, and I discovered that I could pursue a fulfilling career while also supporting my artistic endeavors.
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It’s exciting how combining arts and tech opens up new possibilities that benefit both fields. I often see similarities, such as the math involved in both programming and tap dancing. They share a rhythm.
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In tap dancing, there are common foundational rhythms and movements, much like coding patterns. It’s fascinating how both forms create beauty from structure.
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It’s great to see how your artistic background informs your approach to programming, much like how actors must quickly assimilate lots of information before auditions.
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The ability to prioritize key elements becomes crucial, akin to managing code bases where one must identify critical features and focus accordingly.
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Stress levels in performing arts shifted when I transitioned to tech. While I encounter pressure, it's now more about problem-solving than mere survival.
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I encourage artists to reevaluate their motivations for pursuing art professionally, opening up the idea that one doesn’t need to remain a starving artist to create compelling work.
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The blend of having financial stability while remaining creative fosters an environment for better art. Stress exists, but it’s far different when your needs are met.
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It’s about harnessing that comfort to fuel creativity rather than using anxiety to seek survival.
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Meeting others with diverse perspectives enriches our environment and enhances problem-solving, leading to better artistic and technical collaboration.
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Incorporating lessons from my artistic background into tech projects has greatly transformed my approach and outlook. Cross-pollination ultimately creates innovative experiences.
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There are numerous ideas where we could leverage tech to enhance the artist's experience in Broadway, from ticket pricing to marketing strategies.
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Conversely, incorporating artistic principles could enrich teamwork and collaboration in tech, showcasing the value of both fields coming together.
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We're hoping to elevate Broadway through this combination and enhance community engagement, ensuring that everyone's voice is heard.
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To bring our musical aspect into the tech world, it was all about planning and channeling what we love about both arenas while structuring it articulately.
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We had an opening number this morning, and the process was both spontaneous and collaborative. From discussions with colleagues to using AI for script refinement, it truly came together.
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Coordinating our performances brought a spark of energy to the conference and highlighted the connection between arts and technology.
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It even left me pondering how both fields might influence and elevate each other, becoming a larger conversation about integration and creative processes.
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We’ve built a community where both sides can learn and share experiences openly, ensuring we're all growing together.
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Thank you for joining us today! I'm looking forward to more discussions around how we can continue this journey of collaboration between arts and technology.
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And as a reminder, we have our Rooftop Ruby party tonight from 6 to 9 PM. Join us as we celebrate!
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We've got fantastic sponsors like Flagrant, Sidekick, Echo, Bind, and Honeybadger supporting us. We're excited to see you all tonight!
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Thank you for coming, everyone! We hope to do more events like this in the future.
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It's been wonderful connecting in person, and I hope to see you all again soon!
