shimmering code poetry
In my last post I mentioned that I have had some epiphanies regarding coding. I am immensely grateful that I have some apitude combined with an outward-looking approach to the culture, as this has led me down the path of ‘social’ media, has allowed me to make some incredible new friends and revitalised my ambitions in a number of areas.
I started programming to make money, not out of love. And a year or so ago I started to learn Ruby, after hearing about Rails. And it struck me a few days ago like a bolt from the high blue. I love Ruby because it feels like poetry. Because it originates in Japan and its creator has stated that the function of the language is to optimise programmer happiness. I practice Japanese Buddhism, so that statement resonates on three thousand levels.
Ruby also has whytheluckystiff, the mad genius of the Ruby community. This is where I lost myself - the poignant guide to Ruby, his guide to the language, is written in a highly charged, cartoonish style with plenty of wordplay and stream of consciousness foo, and I subconsciously made the decision to learn the language based on this and the artistic vibe so prevalent in the community. A bad call for a programmer? Probably. For a writer looking for inspiration and the parallel ability to enjoy the activity that provides a decent income stream to prevent the deluded need for starvation and suffering to demonstrate a commitment to art and creation? Not at all.
So there you have it. That is why I am a Ruby programmer. It’s because the writer in me will not settle for anything less.
2 years ago