Category: Ruby

  • RubyConf 2006: Day 2

    The second day of RubyConf 2006 dawned with snow on the ground. This isn’t unusual for Denver in late October, but it’s special to me since snow is a much rarer element in North Carolina, even in mid-January. The talks have been fascinating so far. Some have been more relevant to me than others, of course. Nathaniel gave his talk a couple of hours ago, drawing parallels between the way Ruby was built and the way businesses (such as Terralien) can/should be built.

    Matz answered questions from the audience last night. Here’s a pic:

    RubyConf 2006 Matz

    Here’s another pic showing what the crowd looked like last night:

    RubyConf 2006 Crowd

    Due to where I was sitting, this reflects about 75% of the room. In case you were wondering, yes, the hotel is swarming with geeks. I’ll have another update and more pics coming tomorrow, hopefully.

  • Off to RubyConf 2006

    I’m off to RubyConf 2006 tomorrow. I used to live in Colorado so I’m looking forward to returning to the area and exploring some old haunts. I’m also looking forward to hanging out with other Ruby geeks and hear Nathaniel’s talk again (he gave it at last night’s Ruby meetup). This will be my first RubyConf. I’m psyched.

  • Teascript opens for beta testing next week

    Teascript is my latest Rails application. It’s scheduled to go live in mid-September. You can read more about it in the original announcement that I posted a few weeks ago.

    Beta testing for Teascript begins next week. I’m looking for a dozen or so people to help sanity check the application before I unleash it on the public. (I already have 8 signed up.) As a beta tester, you would receive full access to the product starting early next week.

    While I’m not requiring anyone who volunteers as a tester to send me feedback, it’s much appreciated! Interested? Shoot me an e-mail at matthew AT teascript DOT com and I’ll add you to the list.

  • Another record-setting Ruby meetup

    Last night’s meeting of the Raleigh-area Ruby Brigade set another record for attendance: 44 by Nathaniel’s count. This is 14 more than last month’s meeting. Incredible!

    This was another first for the group in that we were meeting at Red Hat’s headquarters on NC State’s centennial campus instead of our old location at the Brier Creek Panera Bread. This is the same building that BarCamp was held in a few months ago. It’s a VERY nice facility. Open wi-fi, convenient restrooms, and a red motif that goes nicely with the whole Ruby thing.

    Last night’s presentation was given by Stuart Halloway and Justin Ghetland. They introduced their new Streamlined framework to the group, which can be described as scaffolding on steroids. Maybe that’s too simplistic, though. I saw their original demo at RailsConf in June, but they were able to go into more detail tonight which was nice.

    Nathaniel made several announcements before the presentation began:

    • There is a Southeastern Regional Ruby Conference in the works. More information to follow soon.
    • A Ruby hacking night is being organized. This will probably take place once a month on Wednesday at our old meeting location, Panera Bread.
    • The raleigh.rb mailing list is the happenin’ place to be. Join up!

    What, you say you’re not a member of the Brigade yet? There is no excuse not to be. Sign yourself up and start hobnobbing with the ever-growing crowd of local Rubyists.

  • Introducing Teascript

    Teascript is a Rails-based web application I’ve been working on for about a month. It’s targeted towards home school parents and students who need to design a high school transcript with minimum fuss.

    Traditionally, this process has been quite involved. My own parents and I designed my transcript using an Excel spreadsheet. It was painstakingly slow! Many home school books have transcript templates in them, but again, the process of photocopying and filling them out is time consuming.

    It is because of this that I decided to create Teascript. The application is still under development, but I have put up a teaser page highlighting some of its features. The page also allows you to sign-up to receive notification when Teascript goes live sometime later this year.

  • Thursday’s Ruby meetup was a huge success

    Last Thursday’s meeting of the Raleigh-area Ruby Brigade (also known as raleigh.rb, the Ruby Meetup, or the Ruby User’s Group… take your pick) was a huge success. A record-breaking 30 Rubyists were in attendance. Whether that was due to RailsConf or whether it was just a freak occurrence, I don’t know. What I do know is that it was a remarkable experience being part of a group that filled an entire room at Panera Bread.

    Nathaniel Talbott, the founder of the group, was out of town and had asked that I run the meeting. Little did I know what I was in for. Fortunately, there were plenty of RailsConf attendees there who had interesting stories to share. Lots of folks hung around to chat afterwards too. As a direct result of the meetup, I’ve given Mongrel a try and must say that I am very impressed with this well behaved dog. Let’s hope I stay that way.

    You say you live in the Triangle area and aren’t a member of raleigh.rb yet? Sacrilege! Sign yourself up right away. We meet once a month at the Panera Bread at Brier Creek, though the location very well may have to change given the attendance we had this last time around. (This is a good thing.)

  • I’ve gone independent

    Yes, I’ve left SAS, the world’s largest privately held software company. What would make me do such a thing? There were many factors involved in the decision, of course, but the primary reason was the opportunity to work full-time with Ruby on Rails from home. This will give me more time with my family. I’m also looking forward to doing more writing, speaking, and volunteering during the remainder of the year. Leaving was a difficult decision because I’ve enjoyed my last three years at SAS very much, but I’ve been wanting to get into independent consulting for over a year now. When the opportunity came up last month, I felt led to take it.

    My primary purpose in making this post was not to cast for offers, but I do want folks to know that I’m available now. My specialties are Ruby, Rails, Java, .NET, and PHP. I’m interested in using these technologies to develop world-class applications, especially web-based applications. I also have a passion for testing and continuous integration. I’m interested in helping development teams build and install automated testing frameworks and continuous integration servers. My background in agile development processes makes these interests a good fit.

    I’m not sure what the future holds for me in this area, but the freedom I’ve experienced so far is incredible. I know this is where God wants me right now. I’m looking forward to enhancing my development skills and branching out into new specializations. I’ve always enjoyed learning (due in large part, I think, to my background as a home schooled student) and now I’ve been given the chance to do so on a level I wasn’t able to before. What an adventure!

  • Ruby crashes the next Java User’s Group

    So what in the world is Ruby on Rails? Where does it make sense to use it? How do you get started developing with it? And why would I forsake the established Java community for the wild ravages of a “new” technology, and love every minute of it?

    The next Java User’s Group meeting will feature a talk by my friend and former co-worker, Nathaniel Talbott, on why he prefers Ruby on Rails over Java. It’s sure to be an educational (and controversial!) presentation. For more information, visit the JUG web site.

  • RailsConf registration reopened

    The fine folks at RailsConf have reopened registration for an additional 150 seats. If you were thinking of going before, but didn’t get a ticket prior to registration closing, now is the time to take action. No, seriously, it is!

  • Red Letter: The Ruby Journal

    Another new Ruby e-zine is getting started. Joining Artima’s Ruby Code & Style is Red Letter: The Ruby Journal. They are currently searching for writing contributions of all types and sizes, and the most important part is that they’ll pay you for what you contribute. Column-length stories start at $350. Ruby, writing, and money? I’m all there.