Ruby Heroes Awards

Talks

Ruby Heroes Awards

Gregg Pollack

Ruby Heroes Awards

by Gregg Pollack and Oliver Lacan

The Ruby Hero Awards, hosted by Gregg Pollack and Oliver Lacan at RailsConf 2015, celebrate individuals who have made significant contributions to the Ruby community. The event acknowledges those who often work behind the scenes, contributing selflessly without seeking recognition. Since its inception in 2008, the awards have grown, showcasing heroes who impact open source projects in essential yet often unseen ways. This year, 397 nominations were received, emphasizing the community's growth and engagement. Nominations required detailed explanations, allowing past winners to select new heroes to avoid a mere popularity contest.

Key points discussed during the awards presentation include:

- Recognition of Contributions: It's crucial to acknowledge the hard work of those who contribute to Ruby, including coding and mentorship.

- Variety of Contributions: Not all contributions are made through code; mentorship and support for newcomers are equally valuable.

- Diversity Efforts: One of the honorees, who co-founded RailsBridge, is recognized for promoting diversity in tech and supporting women in a male-dominated space.

- Documentation Initiatives: Another hero led the Ruby Documentation Project, significantly enhancing accessibility to Ruby’s information.

- Maintaining Essential Libraries: One honoree’s work has ensured the SQL library remains robust and maintained with no open issues.

- Performance Enhancements: Another hero focused on improving Ruby's garbage collection and developed tools to benchmark Ruby applications, marking important strides in community performance.

The presentation closes by encouraging audience members to embody the spirit of the awards and continue supporting one another within the Ruby community. Attendees are reminded that everyone's participation is valuable, contributing to a more robust and inclusive environment. The session concludes with a heartfelt acknowledgment of the heroes and the broader community's vital role in the development and success of Ruby, encouraging ongoing engagement and appreciation for all contributors.

00:00:12.240 Welcome to the Ruby Hero Awards! Thank you all for coming. We have some amazing individuals to recognize today.

00:00:19.920 There's a quote that I feel embodies the spirit of the Ruby Hero Awards. This quote, in case you're wondering, is inspired by a rather famous historical figure. In fact, I traveled back in time to get you an amazing high-resolution photo of Abraham Lincoln. We've been doing these Ruby Hero Awards since 2008, and if you're curious about last year's winners, you will see some familiar names among them.

00:00:38.600 In 2013, we had eight heroes recognized. Many of these individuals were contributing to projects in ways that may not have been widely acknowledged at the time they received their awards. They were all working diligently for the betterment of the Ruby community. A lot of the heroes work on projects that contribute to open source in ways that may be invisible to many.

00:01:12.119 It's important to highlight that we do this to acknowledge the hard work of these contributors. They may not always receive the attention they deserve, but their contributions are invaluable. I began the Rails Envy podcast years ago, which evolved into the Ruby 5 podcast. For those who listened, thank you! We covered the latest news in the Ruby community twice a week.

00:01:34.439 In doing this podcast, I noticed there were certain individuals who consistently appeared week after week. These are the people who are continuously helping others and contributing to open source without seeking recognition. This led us to create these awards as a way to honor those who are selflessly working for the community.

00:02:00.200 A couple of months ago, we opened up nominations on rubyheroes.com, and we received 397 nominations this year, which is fantastic! But to nominate someone, it wasn’t just a checkbox; nominators needed to explain why this person deserved recognition.

00:02:37.879 We then took these nominations to the past Ruby Heroes to prevent it from becoming a popularity contest. The past heroes reviewed the nominees and their reasons for nomination, and they selected the next six Ruby Heroes based on these criteria.

00:03:04.840 I'm excited to announce that we have five of this year’s Ruby Heroes present with us today. Now, I will hand it over to my co-host, Olivier, to present the remaining aspects of the awards.

00:03:21.360 Olivier takes over the stage. As many of you may know, contributions to the community aren't solely measured by code metrics. It's crucial to remember that not everyone makes contributions through coding. We also want to take a moment to thank Ruby Central and all the wonderful individuals who help organize this conference. Their efforts enable us to host events like this, and we appreciate everyone who took the time to vote and share kind words about their peers.

00:03:55.399 At Code School, we put a lot of effort into organizing this event, including designing the website and crafting beautiful trophies for our heroes. It's also essential that we help newcomers join our community.

00:04:14.799 In our recent series, Carlos and I attempted to reproduce features from Basecamp. We had the opportunity to pair program with David Heinemeier Hansson, who provided insightful feedback on our work. For anyone interested in enhancing their Rails knowledge, I highly recommend checking out our series.

00:04:35.120 One crucial thing I'd like to emphasize before we continue is the importance of positive reinforcement in our community. If you encounter a past hero or someone whose software has significantly impacted your work, take a moment to express your gratitude. It can be stressful to approach these individuals, but showing appreciation can make a significant difference in their lives.

00:05:54.360 Now, regarding the presentation of our heroes, when we call your name, please come up to accept your award. We will take a photo together afterward for the keepsake.

00:06:04.640 So, let’s begin with the first hero. This individual has made a remarkable number of commits to Ruby MRI. The graphs show an impressive upward trend in their contributions.

00:06:17.560 This hero, known as the 'MRI Patch Monster,' has made 10,946 commits with an astonishing 3,758 of those attributed to him alone. Without him, Ruby would not be the same; he's like water to a fish, as one quote perfectly describes. He is an incredible contributor who works tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure Ruby's stability and functionality.

00:08:15.120 Although he couldn't join us today due to family obligations, we hope to have someone accept the award on his behalf. Please join me in giving a warm welcome to Kichi, who will accept the award for our first hero.

00:08:55.680 Kichi’s entrance is acknowledged, and we thank him for stepping in to represent our first hero.

00:09:01.159 Now, on to our second hero. This person has made substantial contributions in a remarkably short time. She has tackled various complex issues within Active Record, a component of Rails that many find daunting.

00:09:32.039 Her commitment to resolving less glamorous bugs and optimizing functionality is greatly appreciated. She not only fixes issues but also mentors newcomers, fostering a welcoming environment in the Ruby community. This hero has just been recognized for her incredible work!

00:10:01.920 Let’s keep the momentum going as I move to our third hero, who co-founded RailsBridge and Bridge Foundry to promote diversity in tech communities. She's expanded these initiatives beyond just Ruby, supporting diversity in various programming environments.

00:10:23.000 Recently, this hero joined Ruby Central's board and played a significant role in organizing this very conference. She's been instrumental in helping new voices get involved in speaking and sharing their experiences in the community.

00:11:13.560 People have noted her immense contributions as a role model in a primarily male-dominated space. She's authored some of the best essays on diversity in Ruby and continues to inspire others through her work.

00:11:50.080 This next hero has taken on the challenge of updating documentation, a task that often goes unappreciated. He initiated the Ruby Documentation Project and made significant contributions over the years.

00:12:01.240 He has dedicated himself to ensuring information is accessible and accurate for users. His remarkable output includes 500 commits to Rails, which underscores his role as a key contributor.

00:12:31.199 Next, we celebrate our fifth hero. Many of you have likely used Sql, an incredibly well-maintained library that has no open issues, thanks to his diligence. He has also made waves with the Roa routing tree web framework.

00:12:57.040 People praise him for his patience and outstanding support in the community, and his extensive contributions to maintaining the SQL library have made it an irreplaceable part of Ruby.

00:13:21.320 This sixth hero has worked tirelessly on improving Ruby's garbage collection, helping many to understand its intricacies. Through his blog posts and projects, he has advanced both Rails and Ruby performance dramatically.

00:15:00.800 He developed Ruby Bench for benchmarking Ruby applications and has made significant contributions to discourse as well. Without his efforts, many performance issues in our community would remain unresolved.

00:15:26.520 Let's take a moment to appreciate all of this year's Ruby Heroes together. Please give them another round of applause for their outstanding contributions.

00:17:02.560 The Ruby Hero Awards highlight the incredible work within our community. However, let’s also remember that everyone who attended and contributed to this conference is a hero. Your participation helps us build a stronger and more inclusive Ruby community.

00:19:09.760 As we wrap things up, we want to remind everyone that you can continue this legacy. Take the spirit of these awards back home—help others, acknowledge their efforts, and make our community even better moving forward.

00:19:35.200 Thank you for being here today, and for all your contributions to the Ruby community. Your involvement has made a difference!

00:19:58.200 Thank you all very much.

RailsConf 2015