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Ruby Retreat Venue Photo by Maysen Greenwood

Ruby Retreat 2023 was a four day retreat focused around the programming language Ruby in the mountains near my hometown, Ōtautahi Christchurch, New Zealand. The lodge is usually filled with keen skiers and snowboarders, but in the off season opens up to other events.

Having escaped the urban jungle of Berlin and being back home for a month, I’ve been jumping at the chance of being close to nature. Not only can I now say I’ve experienced the best coworking view, but being surrounded by nature made for great outdoor activities such as climbing up to nearby mount Cockayne, and going for a morning trail run.

Ruby Retreat Mountain Photo by Nick Malcom

The retreat was run in a loose unconference style, where attendees suggested and scheduled workshops and talks. Topics ranged from GIT rebasing strategies, working at a hazardous chemical lab, HTTP/3, and conversations about neurodiversity in the software engineering industry.

Tables and couches were also spread throughout the rooms which invited spontaneous collaboration by hacking together on projects, playing games, and even music jam sessions. Meals were provided throughout the day as well as plentiful non-alcoholic and caffeinated drinks.

Ruby Retreat Group Photo by Pat Allan (freelancing-gods.com)

The standard conference format of a presenter at a podium talking to a room full of silent attendees has never seemed to appeal to me. Whenever a presenter read line by line off their powerpoint presentation and spent too much time promoting their company, it made me wonder if the speaker was interested in the topic or if it was just a part of their job’s bonus scheme.

I found myself getting more value from spontaneous interactions while waiting for talks to start, conversations over lunch, or drinks in the evening. I didn’t seem to be the only one as I noticed some of the longest standing community members at Ruby Retreat 2023 more focused on spontaneity, either lingering by the coffee machine, suggesting board games, or strumming on their banjo.

Ruby Retreat Paws Photo by Michael Yin

Ruby Retreat 2023 was a reminder to me about the significance of community.

One of the most memorable moments from the weekend was from a moderated discussion about the prevalence of ADHD in the industry. Someone questioned if there really is such a thing as neurodivergence, since humans have always existed to be unique and compliment each other’s skills.

If you’ve ever attended a computer science lecture or participated in a typical software engineering team, you’ll know that the industry has potential to be a lot more inclusive. Creating strong communities makes us all more productive and resilient. Setting guidelines, leading by example, and trusting members to look out for each other means that everyone is heard… especially those with unique opinions which the industry needs the most.

Thanks to Patrick Davey, Philip Arndt and all other members of the organisation team that made the weekend a lasting memory. I highly recommend joining Christchurch Ruby Group meetup group to see what community is all about.