Python’s Beards and Ruby’s ‘Cool’ Guys

I was having a chat on the MicroSoft Networks fancy comms protocol. Aka: MSN. Along came someone with an opinion. As is customary I shot it down with wild abandon!!

The quickie backstory:

  • I suggested Python is better than Ruby.
  • They argued using two example pictures – see below.

Rubyists

ruby_programmers.jpg



I Said:

The Ruby pic: The guy on the right has his eyebrow raised as if to say: “I’m fucking amazing”. The rest of them are all geeks who are using Ruby as their way to be cool in a world that rejected them at high school age for being geeks. Little do they realise (maybe deep down they do) but the only people who may think they’re cool is a small fringe group of other Ruby-ists and beginner coders. The other Ruby-ists will be consumed by an undertone of competitiveness. The Python coders will think they’re rubbish fanboys. The hot girl who rejected them at high school will think they’re just like any other geek.

Pythonistas

504x_Picture_2_23-18-44.png



I Said:

The good thing about the Python coders is they’re not bothered. They’re just not even trying. They’re so past giving a shit about being cool that they’ve all grown ugly facial hair.

This piercing psychological insight into the programmers of Python and Ruby is just the tip of the iceberg. For $200 I’ll furnish you with a graph showing my facts in a nice way that will go well in a professional report.

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20 Comments to “Python’s Beards and Ruby’s ‘Cool’ Guys”

  1. Jason Arnold 31 July 2009 at 4:45 am #

    Leah Culver is a Python programmer. How does she fit in with the beard thing?

  2. Bearded Rubyist 31 July 2009 at 6:02 am #

    The sad thing is, somewhere, some ruby developer will actually be offended by this. =)

    - Past the Point of Giving a Sh*t about Flamewar Bait

  3. Offended Rubyist 31 July 2009 at 6:22 am #

    @Bearded Rubyist – I demand you shave your beard. You’re totally not cool. :-)

  4. anonymous 31 July 2009 at 6:36 am #

    I think there was some correlation between “beards” and survival of projects. Rumor has it, that Matz grew a beard….

  5. James Ravenscroft 31 July 2009 at 7:24 am #

    As a Python developer, it’s scary how just a few minutes prior to reading “not shaving” lost out in the mental debate over whether to shave today. In fairness, I did shave yesterday so unless I’m Steve Carell (http://tinyurl.com/l5fxtf) then I should still be able to infiltrate the ranks of the rubyists until tomorrow.

  6. Guido von Guido 31 July 2009 at 7:34 am #

    Jason Arnold: Dunno. Does Leah shave her beard?

  7. Larry von Matz 31 July 2009 at 9:46 am #

    As a Python/Perl guy, I have a beard because I’m too busy writing code to shave. The Ruby guys look so “cool” because they have time to primp and worry about fashion while the interpreter is busy being 300x as slow as anything else on the planet.

  8. Bearded Rubyist 31 July 2009 at 10:40 am #

    @Larry von Matz – ding ding ding! We have a winner. Bearded Python/Pearl guy takes the bait.

    You know what I do while I wait for my ruby interpreter?

    Shave my balls instead. Chicks dig it, man.

  9. pranny pythonist 31 July 2009 at 11:18 am #

    The facial hairs are not ugly. They make us look intellectual :-)

  10. mark 31 July 2009 at 3:19 pm #

    The facial hair means that they are too chicken to cut it every day.

    BECAUSE THEY ARE LAZY.

  11. ken farmer 31 July 2009 at 3:32 pm #

    I think the Ruby folks had beards too before Rails put them in the spotlight.

  12. raggi 31 July 2009 at 7:50 pm #

    The one true way == grow a beard?

  13. Confused Pythonis 31 July 2009 at 8:17 pm #

    Oh why did I shave my damned beard.

  14. hans 31 July 2009 at 8:22 pm #

    @Jason Arnold, @Guido von Guido, ask her boyfriend. :p

  15. ning 1 August 2009 at 4:05 am #

    don’t justify by beard.Matz, the author of Ruby has a beard!!!!

  16. Steven 3 August 2009 at 5:23 am #

    are the rubyists are sitting infront of an example of ruby code.

  17. boingo 3 August 2009 at 5:34 am #

    @Steven – nope looks like Perl to me.

  18. Jeff Darcy 3 August 2009 at 11:51 am #

    @mark One man’s laziness is another man’s optimization. ;)

  19. Harsha M V 14 September 2009 at 8:28 pm #

    Where does PHP stand ? :D

  20. Wordpress Themes 12 July 2010 at 2:55 pm #

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