Languages Matter

Google Tech Talk
November 17, 2009

ABSTRACT

Presented by Yukihiro Matsumoto.

A short talk by Yukihiro "Matz" Matsumoto about programming languages.

Matz is the chief designer of the Ruby programming language and its reference implementation, Matz's Ruby Interpreter (MRI).

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• google
• tech
• talks
• ruby

[foojoku]

Oh. My. God. The talk may be sub par as far as English language talks go, but this guy expresses, on a fundamental level, what George Orwell was trying to express with his "New Speak" idea: Language matters. Not just in terms of what it means, but in terms of what an expressive language adds to human society.

[foojoku]

First googletechtalks talk that really resonated on me on a human level. I love this guy.

[jaseemabid]

The accent makes it hard to understand.

[trinidad143]

This guy is a genious indeed.

[fcbmartinso]

WE ALREADY HAVE YOUTUBE IN CATALAN!!! OUR LANGUAGE!!

[drippel01]

This talk is downright embarrassing. The worst Google Tech Talk I've seen. Avoid.

[floopy312]

@donnyab SO TRUE

[shevegen]

i like him

he is like the buddha of programming languages

and ruby the language is really elegant

[paazoe]

@someman7 The most important point is that there are two types of people: those, who just try to do what other tell them to do with the tools they already have, and those, who are creating their tools for a concrete needings, who are active and free-thinking. Their minds borders are much, much wider and their level of competence* is simply unattainable for the people of the 1st type. Ruby is for the 2nd type of people - for those, who are still creating.

* - see "Peter Principle" at wikipedia.

[MrRubiez]

@zandax "a second rate programming language" is subjective opinion.

[zandax]

@foojoku: It's a programming language, and not even the best one out there. Please do not compare a 2nd rate programming language to such a brilliant masterpiece. That analogy is a big punch in Orwell's face.

[FloppyFormatFrenzy]

@hyhu84 Yeah, that's sorta what I was wondering. I thought it was for him at first until she did that thing at the end where she pretty much summed up most of the things he said (I assume since I don't know too much Japanese). My only thought after asking that is perhaps it was for people in Japan who wanted to hear him speak at the conference, which makes sense because apparently Ruby is used a lot on Japan, or so I've heard.