RubyConf 2018 starts tomorrow, and just like I did with RailsConf, I’m very belatedly going to share some highlights from RubyConf 2017, which was in New Orleans last November. It was my first time attending RubyConf, and what struck me the most was the really strong sense of community. Here’s what one first-time attendee had to say:

…This conference was so incredibly worth it. I learned about sweet gems, cool projects, and job opportunities. But more importantly, I met SO MANY totally epic and amazing individuals that even after only three short days I happily now consider friends. I cannot wait to follow their coding lives and journeys in the years to come. I am confident that so many of them are going to do great and groundbreaking things. Plus, I cannot WAIT for my next RubyConf.

That’s from the post 31 thoughts I had while attending my first #RubyConf as an Opportunity Scholar. RubyConf’s Opportunity Scholar program provides financial support for folks who wouldn’t be able to attend otherwise, and are getting started with Ruby. The Scholars are then each matched with a Guide – experienced people who can help them navigate the conference, and make connections for professional development and job opportunities. I applied to be a Guide for this year’s RubyConf and I was selected – I’m looking forward to it!

RubyConf has three tracks of talks, so it’s not possible to attend them all, but here are the ones that were my favorites, including links to the videos for each of them: