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In his talk at RubyConf AU 2015, titled "What is a Rubyist?", Steve Klabnik explores the identity and evolving nature of being a Ruby programmer. The presentation is grounded in philosophical concepts, particularly ontology and process philosophy, to examine what defines a Rubyist beyond mere technical proficiency. Klabnik, despite engaging less with Ruby day-to-day, emphasizes the importance of community participation and the physiological understanding of identity in programming.

Key Points Discussed:
- **Philosophical Foundation**: Klabnik uses ontology to discuss existence and identity. He compares how we define objects in programming models to Plato’s theory of forms, asserting that attributes alone aren’t enough to define a Rubyist. 
- **Process Philosophy**: Instead of rigidly categorizing Rubyists based on specific attributes, Klabnik advocates for defining them by their active engagement in the community and in the evolution of Ruby itself.
- **Community and Inclusivity**: He stresses that the Ruby community should embrace contributions from various programming languages, highlighting the collective experience rather than strict definitions of identity.
- **Adapting and Evolving**: Klabnik discusses the necessity for the Ruby community to cease negative comparisons with other technologies and instead embrace useful insights from them, especially from languages like Java.
- **Crossing the Chasm**: Referencing Geoffrey A. Moore’s model, Klabnik argues that the Ruby community must recognize its stagnation and effectively bridge the gap to attract the early majority, which can lead to broader acceptance and growth.
- **Embracing Change**: He points out how Ruby is now viewed more as a stable, reliable tool rather than an innovative choice, indicating maturation within the community.
- **Collaboration and Cross-Pollination**: Klabnik emphasizes learning from other programming languages and practices as crucial for Ruby’s future. He cites examples such as the introduction of static typing as a step towards quality enhancement.

Conclusion: Klabnik’s talk encourages Rubyists to respect and learn from other programming ecosystems while acknowledging the need for the Ruby community to adapt and evolve. He promotes the idea that being a Rubyist encompasses an open-minded approach to programming, fostering collaboration and a positive perspective towards other tools and technologies. The future of Ruby, he suggests, relies on this capacity for adaptability and respectful engagement with the ever-changing landscape of programming.

This session ultimately fosters a dialogue on maintaining relevance in technology by embracing innovation and collaboration as core values.

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