I’ve been working with Ruby since the early 2000s. Ruby has changed a lot in that time, but we don’t always remember how much. Let’s rewrite a short program so that it runs in a twenty-year-old version of Ruby and see how much syntax and performance has changed for the better in twenty years.

Ruby is being actively developed, and getting better over time, but even when it was more limited and slower it was still a viable language for development.

There is always room for improvement. Let this talk illuminate newer programmers and remind grizzled veterans. Be grateful for those who have got us here and optimistic about using Ruby in the future.

Video by

I’ve been using Ruby since before it was cool, when it was cool, and will be using it afterwards. I enjoy tinkering with software, music, and electronics, and especially the intersections of those. I’m probably in your Gemfile.