Continuing with the erubycon speaker interviews, next we have Muness Alrubaie.

Muness Alrubaie Answers

Muness has over 10 years of experience in software development and teaching computer science. His development background has included working with various languages including Java, C#, Python, VB.Net, Perl and Javascript. Now, he is thrilled to be coding in Ruby. Muness is currently a software developer at ThoughtWorks.

Here are Muness’s answers:

Q: Tell me a little about your background, where you are working and how did you come to start using Ruby?

I’ve been doing software development since ‘97. I am currently an architect with ThoughtWorks. I first came across Ruby three years ago thanks to all the Rails hype.

Q: What unique opportunities do you see for Ruby in the enterprise?

I love Ruby for system with fast changing requirements. Its succinctness and readability make it especially attractive, for those properties make programs written in Ruby easier to write, maintain, and most importantly for me, evolve.

Q: What obstacles do you see to getting Ruby used more in enterprise software?

Half hearted attempts at Ruby. Let me explain: whenever a company tries something new and it fails, they blame the technology. This is a problem all new tools/languages face, but I think it’s especially relevant for Ruby.

To be harnessed properly, one has to approach Ruby with respect. In my opinion, using Ruby for large systems without the feedback supplied by an agile process, for example, is a recipe for disaster. Another example of the respect due Ruby is that it is drastically different than Java or C#. Writing Ruby without TDD or taking advantage of its features (dynamic typing and extensive metaprogramming support stand out) will ultimately disapoint both managers and developers.

Q: Play oracle for a moment and tell me what you see as the next “Big Thing” in software development.

Language oriented programming, aka, making better use of DSLs.

Q: What erubycon talk are you most interested in hearing?

I am looking forward to all the talks, and especially to Keeping Tests Dry and The Beauty of Ruby.

Thank You

Thanks Muness.

For more information on the conference, see erubycon.com.