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Great! Can you hear me? Awesome! Hi, I'm super excited to be here today. It's a RubyConf, it's my birthday, and I'm going to be talking about Ruby in 79 AD and specifically how I'm open sourcing my role as Indiana Jones. But before I get going, I'm Sean Marcia. I work at George Mason University, specifically for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. That's me on Twitter.
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Let's talk! I'm going to give you a little bit of a history lesson. Like I said, I work at a university, and if I went back without teaching you guys something, I’d get yelled at by all the academics I work with. I will talk a little bit about higher education, how to get involved in open source, especially in higher education, along with some other random details sprinkled in to show how everything will come together at the end. So don’t worry!
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I know we just had lunch, and if you're really full and want to close your eyes, I encourage you to do so. I am mostly going to be telling a story for this first part, so feel free to lean your heads back and imagine you're back at school at 8 a.m. on a Monday.
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Let's imagine it's 79 AD. This was an amazing time to be alive—there was both a cultural and intellectual renaissance occurring. I should point out that I understand that AD is an anachronism and CE is the accepted term now, but I will be using AD and BC in this talk because that's more recognizable. To really understand why there was this cultural and intellectual renaissance going on, we need to go back a little further in history.
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Back in 44 BC, there was this guy named Julius Caesar. If you've ever taken tenth-grade English, you probably read a Shakespeare poem about him. He was this badass Roman general who declared himself dictator. As dictators often do, he started eroding all the power structures in Rome, consolidating power with himself. However, Rome was a republic, and the Senate thought this was a bad idea. So, they invited Caesar to the Senate, where the senators took turns shanking him. Healthcare back then, as you can imagine, was not what it is today! Caesar died, but he was an extremely popular fellow. When he died, he left a lot of his money to the Roman people, which engendered goodwill.
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He was also popular just for being such a badass general. This led to an uprising against the senators responsible for his death, and they faced repercussions. There was a triumvirate of people who then shared power: Caesar's nephew, Gaius Octavius, who took on the name Augustus Caesar, and two other figures, Marc Anthony and Lepidus. Lepidus disappeared quickly, leaving Augustus and Anthony to bicker. Eventually, a civil war broke out, leading to Anthony's suicide after losing to Augustus.
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Augustus Caesar was quite smart; he never declared himself emperor or dictator, only referring to himself as the first citizen of Rome. There was no question, though, that he was the Emperor. His reign marked the transition from the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire. Augustus, with his considerable power, managed to switch the entire economy of Rome from continual warfare to one of peace. This peace, known as the Pax Romana or Roman Peace, lasted about 200 years.
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During this period, the legions built 55,000 miles of paved roads and another 130,000 miles of unpaved roads. Having good, safe roads was great for transportation and trade. Moreover, they created amazing architectural works, such as the Alcantara Bridge in Spain, which has an inscription from the architect stating, 'I’ve built a bridge that will last till the end of time.' Built 2,000 years ago, it is still in use today! While we think of our philosophy, laws, and literature as rooted in ancient Greece, it was during this Roman Renaissance that many ideas were advanced, often in revolutionary ways.
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The Roman Senate was opened to non-Romans, allowing the first senator who was not Roman, which was quite groundbreaking. Think about having a president here in America who wasn't American! They made advancements, including intricate glasswork and even developed concrete. Interestingly enough, when the Roman Empire fell, the world forgot how to make concrete for over a thousand years, only rediscovering it with the start of the Industrial Revolution. Modern concrete doesn't last nearly as long as Roman concrete, which is impressive.
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What if there was a way to preserve a section of the ancient Roman world for future generations to rediscover? It would be invaluable for humanity's understanding. So, let's turn to Pompeii, active during this Pax Romana period. Imagine, if you will, that the date is the 24th of August, 79 AD. Pompeii was a fabulous place to live, quite isolated geographically. You could only reach it by sea, making it a laid-back, happy community.
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However, by the 24th of August, things were looking a bit off. Recently, there had been tremors and the nearby Mount Vesuvius was emitting smoke. Yet, no one felt particularly worried about a potential eruption, particularly since just the day before was Vulcanalia, a festival for the Roman god of fire and volcanoes. After all, gods aren't capricious, right? Well, turns out they are, and over a course of about six hours, Pompeii would be buried under 20 to 25 meters of ash and rock.
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I have a kind of a nerdy sound file here that I want to play that highlights what happened next.
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(Inaudible sound file)
Can you hear that? Some things that should not have been forgotten, lost history became legend, legend became myth. And for one and a half thousand years, the location of Pompeii was lost to history.
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I apologize if anyone saw this movie; it is not accurate at all. There were no volcanoes, no lava, and fireballs from the sky. What happened was a Plinian eruption, similar to that of Mount St. Helens in 1980, characterized by a lot of ash, smoke, and pyroclastic flows. If you happen to think about Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger, let me tell you how they contribute to our understanding of Pompeii.
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These two gentlemen are central to why we know so much about this event. Pliny the Elder was the naval commander, and he tried to rescue people during the eruption but ultimately did not survive. His nephew, Pliny the Younger, documented the events, and it's through his writings, along with academic analysis and translations, that we can piece together the story of Pompeii.
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Now, let’s switch gears. It's my responsibility to dispel misconceptions about universities. We've all seen charts showing that university tuition has skyrocketed, increasing around 500% in the past 30 years, while the cost of living has only gone up about 100%. This leads many to believe that universities are raking in profits, but that's far from the truth. Universities are state institutions and their finances depend heavily on state government funding.
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When it comes time for budget cuts, higher education is often an easy target. Unfortunately, the constituents who are likely to benefit from these institutions—the students—don't vote, as they're often not of the voting age. In Virginia, for instance, where I work, about 70% of our budget used to be funded by the state. Now it's only about 20%. So, university costs have gone up significantly over the last 30 years, not from profit maximization but from having to compensate for reduced state support.
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With the costs of running universities—including computers, software licensing, and modern medical equipment—the perception that higher education institutions are overcharging becomes fraught with misunderstanding. The term 'university incorporated' often comes about due to the pressure to foster partnerships with corporations and wealthy individuals.
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If I can just get a show of hands, how many of you here do not have a traditional computer science degree, possessing degrees in humanities and social sciences?
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That's awesome! When we look at funding for humanities research, it really is minimal compared to other sectors, causing significant concern. For instance, the Japanese Minister of Education recently announced closures of the humanities departments across major universities, which is devastating. The humanities represent our cultural identity—our art and literature—so losing that drastically undercuts what makes us unique.
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However, there is some hope emerging from unexpected places, like Silicon Valley. Stewart Butterfield, founder and CEO of Slack, is a prime example. He holds undergraduate and master’s degrees in philosophy, emphasizing that the skills gained from the humanities contribute richly to professions in tech.
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Stewart tells a story about one of his employees, a 38-year-old woman with a fine arts degree in theatre, who was responsible for much of Slack's bot functionality. He attributes Slack's success to her contributions. So, while it may seem counterintuitive, the humanities can lead to groundbreaking advancements in technology and innovation. Rather than solely concentrating on traditional paths into tech, we can also cultivate unique solutions through a more collaborative effort.
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Speaking of collaboration, I absolutely love Ruby. I appreciate that its creator, Matz, built Ruby with developer happiness as a priority. If you're looking for those stickers of Matz we occasionally see around conferences, come find me afterwards!
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However, one challenge that many facing Ruby jobs encounter is meeting the hiring expectations of contributing to open source—to be recognized in our community. As a hiring manager, it is easier to assess an individual by reviewing their code and asking appropriate questions rather than traditional interview questions. However, if you are like me, the thought of contributing to open source might seem overwhelming. Personally, I experienced imposter syndrome, worrying someone might tear my work apart.
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In seeking paths into open source, I believe there is no ‘one-size-fits-all.’ I found my own way when I connected with an archaeologist who had a database problem. When she described her situation, my developer instincts kicked in. I didn't initially plan to end up in the archaeological field, as I'm just a nerd who loves board games and D&D.
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So, when I heard her describe that they were using a very outdated database system—FileMaker Pro—it piqued my interest. My immediate thought was that database updates could easily be streamlined and optimized. So, after talking with her, I researched her issue, worked on a solution, and created a new, user-friendly database that would allow real-time updates, which absolutely amazed the team who initially thought their process was stuck in the past.
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A few days later, I received a call from Betty Jo, one of the team members, offering me a trip to Pompeii with the archaeological team! I was beyond excited, and on this journey, I gained archaeologist credentials. Imagine walking around 2000-year-old ruins without the usual crowds because of my credentials. It was a profound experience!
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While in Pompeii, I was exposed to many astounding finds, which I truly appreciated. The takeaway here is that it was not a project they could have done alone. They were unaware that something like this was even possible, and they lacked sufficient resources. By connecting with researchers and conducting some inquiries, I discovered that their needs were common among many researchers and were easily solvable.
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The challenges they faced—like needing simple data entries and review locks—could easily be addressed through common Ruby solutions. With access to various gems that can simplify development, we have an incredible opportunity to contribute where needed.
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If you're wondering why you should choose this route over contributing to other significant projects, I would say that it's more accessible to address specific needs. I recall my enthusiasm to commit to my first open-source project but was overwhelmed by the complexity of the technology and language used.
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However, when a professor asked for a straightforward solution to input and manage data regarding red pandas, I felt more equipped to help! It connected better with my interests. So, I want to advocate for an initiative called Ruby for Good.
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It's an event I help to organize in the DC area, where we create applications for nonprofits looking to foster community empowerment. In the past, we've built applications for various social agencies and provided real benefits while actually having fun—especially with additional incentive like having kittens around at some of our events!
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I encourage everyone interested to consider participating next year, from June 16 to 19 at the Smithsonian Mason Research Institute. It's a stunning location right next to Shenandoah National Park, and we would love to have you alongside various local wildlife—like red pandas and other beautiful creatures—as we contribute to meaningful projects.
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As I conclude, I invite everyone to engage with local universities and participate in projects or initiatives that appeal to you. Should you need any assistance, please reach out to me. While I cannot promise trips to Italy every year, I assure you will gain invaluable learning experiences, and I would love to connect you with opportunities.
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If anyone has questions, I would love to hear them. Thank you so much!
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So, regarding project maintenance, particularly for Pompeii, I would assume that if anything happened to me tragically, they would be in a difficult situation since I am the main developer. However, for Ruby for Good, we strive to cultivate meaningful connections between teams and the organizations we serve. By sending project teams on-site to collaborate and foster lasting relationships, we ensure their needs continue to be met, resulting in an ongoing, sustainable project.
