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I hate to break it to you, guys, but Ruby is almost old enough to drink. What started out as a small community full of fun, silliness, and connection has been growing. Our small codebases are now large. Our small *companies* are now large. And the large companies have finally figured out that they want in, too.

So maybe it's time to start tackling Real Problems and Real Solutions in the world of Real Innovation. Maybe it's time for the community to grow up, stop playing around, and get Serious™.

But...that's not who we are. Our community thrives on creativity, play, and luck. And those things aren't just a weird perk like not having to wear shoes in the office - creativity, play, and luck, when present, actually produce better software. As we grow our projects and our teams and invade the corporate cube farm, there are some things we can lay aside, and there are others we must hold on to as if our very identity depended on them.

Because it does.

Help us caption & translate this video!

http://amara.org/v/FGax/

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The video titled "The End of Fun" features Sarah Mei, a Ruby developer at Pivotal Labs, who addresses a critical aspect of the Ruby community at the Ruby on Ales 2013 conference. In her talk, Mei discusses the evolution of the Ruby programming community, which has seen remarkable growth and success, transitioning from a small, creative environment to a more corporate landscape.

### Key Points Discussed: 
- **The Success of Ruby**: 
  - Ruby, now 20 years old, has matured from a fringe hobbyist language to a mainstream programming language. 
  - Successful Ruby applications are no longer small; they involve large codebases and teams.

- **Fear of Losing Fun in Growth**: 
  - As companies and projects grow, there is a fear that the fun of programming may diminish. Mei points out that many developers fear that corporate growth will kill the creative and social dynamics of smaller teams. 
  - This concern is echoed by experiences shared at conferences from developers employed in larger corporations like HP and IBM.

- **The Dichotomy of Developer Cultures**: 
  - Mei explains a common divide within the developer community: the established company versus the startup culture, presenting potential biases against one another due to their different operational focuses. 
  - She urges against letting anecdotes and stereotypes shape these perceptions, advocating for a data-driven analysis of creativity.

- **Research on Creativity**: 
  - Drawing from psychological studies, Mei emphasizes that creativity is not a trait but a learned behavior involving two modes of thinking: closed (goal-focused) and open (broad exploration). 
  - Software development must balance both modes to foster creativity effectively.

- **Importance of the Right Processes**: 
  - Proper processes in software development, like the red-green-refactor cycle, facilitate creativity at every development stage. 
  - Emphasizing both structure and creativity, Mei suggests introducing novelty to keep developer engagement and innovation high.

- **Encouragement to Enjoy Coding**: 
  - In conclusion, Mei appeals to the audience to ensure that coding remains an enjoyable endeavor, regardless of corporate constraints, and encourages fostering environments that prioritize creativity and fun.

Sarah Mei's talk ultimately highlights the shifting dynamics within the Ruby community, advocating for a balance between growth and maintaining the playful, creative culture that has defined it. She emphasizes that having fun and being creative is essential for successful software development, encouraging developers to embrace new ideas and approaches in their work.

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