DevDiscuss Episode 4: Should Ruby Still be a Thing in 2020?
Tags: podcast, discuss, ruby
Published: 2020-06-03 18:07:43

---
title: DevDiscuss Episode 4: Should Ruby Still be a Thing in 2020?
published: true
description: 
tags: podcast, discuss, ruby
cover_image: https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/ih1kvo3fts4vao4pir61.png
---


{% podcast https://dev.to/devdiscuss/s1-e4-should-ruby-still-be-a-thing-in-2020 %}

This week, [Ben](https://dev.to/ben) and I were lucky to have [James Harton](https://dev.to/jimsy) (senior developer at Balena) and [Vaidehi Joshi](https://dev.to/vaidehijoshi) (senior software engineer here at DEV) join us for an in-depth conversation on the value of Ruby in today’s world. James and Vaidehi were the perfect pair to join us for this topic on DevDiscuss given their extensive experience with the language. 

James has been using Ruby since around 2005, just a few years after its popularity began to surge. He became one of the only certified Rails dev in New Zealand shortly thereafter, which led him to professional opportunities as well as roles as a committee member for the Ruby New Zealand Association. James even helped to organize a Rails camp in Auckland!

Vaidehi began her education as a software engineer six years ago with Ruby at a coding bootcamp -- and has been using Ruby on Rails ever since. At DEV, Vaidehi is part of a team of engineers that makes your experience with the community magical, intuitive to use, and delightful for new users. Vaidehi builds and manages many of the helpful pages new DEV users see right out of the gate -- and these are delivered via our Rails app! In short, if you’ve ever used DEV, you’ve interacted with the applications Vaidehi oversees in her role. 



### _In this episode, Ben, Vaidehi, James, and I discuss:_ 

- Why Ruby and Rails have reached the popularity they have in the first place
- The nuances of the Ruby community and how its optimized for developer happiness
- Why the pros and cons of Ruby are a great subject for debate
- How the Ruby ecosystem has grown, changed, and paved the path for other languages 
- How Ruby consistently helps devs fall back in love with programming
- The common pitfalls of the very language we love here at DEV

…and much more!

Check out Episode 4 of DevDiscuss: Should Ruby Still Be a Thing in 2020? today. If you enjoy it, please consider [leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/devdiscuss/id1513053883). **We’ll mail you a small thank you gift if you send us a screenshot of your review by June 30! All you have to do is fill out [this form](https://airtable.com/shr8oKAIMZgdYnBxx).**

## Quick Listening Links
-   [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/6K0GuqEhWNdRpunMR9tsqP)
-   [Overcast](https://overcast.fm/+a_2mGmeV8)
-   [Stitcher](https://www.stitcher.com/s?eid=70145599)
-   [Listen Notes](https://lnns.co/SglbUuCJFk1)
-   [DevDiscuss Website](https://devpods.dev/podcasts/devdiscuss/episodes/6)
-   [RSS Feed](https://feeds.devpods.dev/devdiscuss_podcast.xml) to plug into the platform of your choice 🔌
-   [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s1-e4-should-ruby-still-be-a-thing-in-2020/id1513053883?i=1000476669835)
-   [Google Podcasts](https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5kZXZwb2RzLmRldi9kZXZkaXNjdXNzX3BvZGNhc3QueG1s/episode/aHR0cHM6Ly9kZXZwb2RzLmRldi9wb2RjYXN0cy9kZXZkaXNjdXNzLzQ?ved=0CAYQ38oDahcKEwjotuXrmubpAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQCw)