Response to Ruby Is Not a Serious Programming Language

Summary

The question Sheon Han poses — “Is Ruby a serious programming language?” — says a lot about what someone thinks programming is supposed to feel like. For some folks, if a tool feels good to use… that must mean it isn’t “serious.” Ruby never agreed to that definition. If it did, I missed the memo. If you arrived late, you missed a chapter when the language felt like a quiet rebellion. The community was small. The energy was playful. Ruby tapped you on the shoulder and asked what would happen if programming didn’t have to feel intimidating… what might be possible if clarity and joy were allowed. The early skeptics were predictable. Java architects. Enterprise traditionalists. Anyone whose identity depended on programming being a stern activity. They said Ruby was unserious. And the community mostly shrugged… because we were busy building things. Ruby made programming approachable. Not simplistic… approachable. That distinction matters. It helped beginners see the path forward. It helped small teams build momentum before anxiety caught up. It helped experienced developers rediscover a sense of lightness in their work. This is why bootcamps embraced it. Why tiny startups found traction with it. Ruby wasn’t trying to win benchmarks… it was trying to keep you moving. When you’re creating something new, that matters far more than the theoretical purity of your type system. And yes… critics love the Twitter example. But look closer. Ruby carried them further than most companies will ever reach. They outgrew their shoes. That’s not an indictment… that’s success. In my world… running a software consultancy for a few decades… I’ve never seen a team fail because they chose Ruby. I have seen them fail because they chose complexity. Because they chose indecision. Because they chose “seriousness” over momentum. Ruby just needed to stay out of the way so people could focus on the real work. And while folks keep debating its “credibility,” the receipts are plain. Shopify moves billi...