In this Dead Code episode, host Jared Norman interviews JP Camara, Principal Software Engineer at Wealthbox, about Ruby concurrency. JP explains that Ruby applications are inherently multithreaded, even when developers assume otherwise, highlighting how background threads from libraries like Sidekiq or monitoring tools can introduce concurrency issues. He discusses the Ruby community's progress in thread safety, driven by tools like Puma and Sidekiq, and contrasts Ruby's "colorless" concurrency model with JavaScript's explicit async/await syntax, emphasizing Ruby's reduced cognitive overhead. JP also shares his experience contributing to Ruby's M:N thread scheduler for macOS, advocating for developers to rely on vetted concurrency tools like concurrent-ruby and async instead of manually managing threads. He concludes by stressing the importance of avoiding global state, breaking tasks into smaller pieces, and approaching concurrency with a thoughtful mindset. Links: <a href="https://www.wealthbox.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Wealthbox</a><a href="https://www.jpcamara.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">JP Camara's Blog</a><a href="https://rubyconf.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">RubyConf</a><a href="https://sidekiq.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sidekiq</a><a href="https://puma.io/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Puma Web Server</a><a href="https://www.honeybadger.io/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Honeybadger</a><a href="https://newrelic.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">New Relic</a><a href="https://www.jpcamara.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">JP's Ruby Concurrency Series</a><a href="https://journal.stuffwithstuff.com/2015/02/01/what-color-is-your-function/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">What Color is Your Function?</a><a href="https://github.com/socketry/async" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Async Gem</a><a href="https://github.com/ruby-concurrency/concurrent-ruby" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Concurrent Ruby</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Violent_Sleep_of_Reason" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Meshuggah – Violent Sleep of Reason</a>Dead Code Podcast Links: <a href="https://hachyderm.io/@deadcode" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mastodon</a><a href="https://twitter.com/DeadCodePod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">X</a> Jared’s Links: <a href="https://supergood.social/@jared" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mastodon</a><a href="https://twitter.com/jardonamron" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">X</a><a href="https://www.twitch.tv/jardonamron" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">twitch.tv/jardonamron</a> <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1J0aaMyPj9bP2EoDGNwNEqlIM59y_zyKxZAbBnqSRFgo/edit?usp=sharing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Episode Transcript</a>

Violent Sleep of Concurrency (with JP Camara)

In this whimsical holiday-themed episode of the Dead Code podcast, Jared dives into the much-anticipated release of Ruby 3.4, framing the technical updates in a festive, poetic rendition of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. Listeners are treated to a charming narrative where Ruby's creator, "Saint Matz," embodies a coding Santa Claus, delivering these updates to the community with flair. Dead Code Podcast Links: <a href="https://hachyderm.io/@deadcode" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mastodon</a><a href="https://twitter.com/DeadCodePod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">X</a> Jared’s Links: <a href="https://supergood.social/@jared" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mastodon</a><a href="https://twitter.com/jardonamron" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">X</a><a href="https://www.twitch.tv/jardonamron" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">twitch.tv/jardonamron</a> <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yMRc5Iood2O_DgcJn84uwJ15nRbOjd-qAmDfdAyIAMI/edit?usp=sharing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Episode Transcript</a>

‘Twas The Night Before Christmas

In this episode of Dead Code, Jared speaks with Rebecca Murphey, Field CTO at Swarmia, about the critical importance of written communication in engineering organizations. Rebecca shares insights from her experiences at Indeed and Stripe, emphasizing how clear, concise, and audience-focused communication can drive alignment, mitigate risks, and advance careers. She discusses frameworks like SCQA (Situation, Complication, Question, Answer) and practical strategies, including critical reading and trimming unnecessary details, to improve technical communication. The conversation also explores how AI tools like ChatGPT are reshaping written communication, the shifting role of junior engineers in a more constrained industry, and the need to understand broader business contexts. The episode underscores that strong communication is as vital as coding skills for thriving in today’s tech landscape. Links: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rmurphey/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rebecca Murphey on LinkedIn</a> Dead Code Podcast Links: <a href="https://hachyderm.io/@deadcode" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mastodon</a><a href="https://twitter.com/DeadCodePod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">X</a> Jared’s Links: <a href="https://supergood.social/@jared" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mastodon</a><a href="https://twitter.com/jardonamron" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">X</a><a href="https://www.twitch.tv/jardonamron" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">twitch.tv/jardonamron</a> <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sm4X0xWcolN8xTu0Ff3TBjs9z42QFkJI5HbE_e1eSys/edit?usp=sharing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Episode Transcript</a>

Why and Why Now? (with Rebecca Murphey)

In this episode of Dead Code, Jared Norman and guests Andrew, Sofia, and Senem discuss their experiences with Advent of Code, an annual programming challenge with Christmas-themed puzzles. They share how the challenge fosters creativity, improves coding skills, and allows for unique problem-solving approaches, particularly using Ruby’s powerful tools like Tally and each_cons. The group reflects on their goals, from practicing domain-driven design and test-driven development to simply having fun writing unconventional code. Jared highlights his focus on creativity over competition, streaming his solutions on Twitch, while the guests explore how Advent of Code inspires learning outside their day-to-day work. Links: <a href="https://adventofcode.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Advent of Code</a><a href="https://twitch.tv/jardonamron" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jared's Twitch Stream</a><a href="https://supergood.software/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Super Good</a><a href="https://projecteuler.net/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Project Euler</a><a href="https://leetcode.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LeetCode</a><a href="https://trickcontest.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TRICK (The Ruby International Obfuscated Code Competition)</a> Dead Code Podcast Links: <a href="https://hachyderm.io/@deadcode" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mastodon</a><a href="https://twitter.com/DeadCodePod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">X</a> Jared’s Links: <a href="https://supergood.social/@jared" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mastodon</a><a href="https://twitter.com/jardonamron" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">X</a> <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_TyJBD8VOliJMoc9SwJejn6a42oqwwji9F5-LjsP4Hs/edit?usp=sharing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Episode Transcript</a>

Advent of Weird Ruby Code

In this episode of Dead Code, Jared Norman and guest Noah Gibbs, author of Rebuilding Rails and Mastering Software Technique, discuss programming as an art form rather than purely a business or engineering practice. They explore how programming, much like traditional art, thrives on creativity and self-expression, with languages like Ruby enabling this through flexibility and elegance, even at the cost of performance. Noah critiques the modern tech ecosystem for prioritizing profit over innovation, stifling creativity with rigid business structures. Highlighting parallels between programming and traditional art education, he advocates focusing on skill and craft instead of monetary incentives. Jared reflects on how these ideas challenge his perspective as a software company owner, urging listeners to consciously define their motivations and reclaim programming as a creative pursuit. The episode, produced by Mandy Moore, invites developers to rethink their relationship with their craft and the systems shaping their work. Links: <a href="https://codefol.io/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Codefol.io</a> Dead Code Podcast Links: <a href="https://hachyderm.io/@deadcode" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mastodon</a><a href="https://twitter.com/DeadCodePod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">X</a> Jared’s Links: <a href="https://supergood.social/@jared" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mastodon</a><a href="https://twitter.com/jardonamron" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">X</a> <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Spiz8T74f9EvOR532P4uneIEYejkdVjM1ZHemyLPDrY/edit?usp=sharing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Episode Transcript</a>

Predatory Infrastructure (with Noah Gibbs)

In this episode of Dead Code, host Jared Norman shares highlights from RubyConf in Chicago, reflecting on its exceptional programming and his personal connection to the venue, dating back to RailsConf 2014. Memorable talks included Matz’s keynote on Ruby's future, Aaron Patterson’s optimization insights, Enrique Mogollan’s exploration of Ruby's boundaries, and Yusuke Endoh’s innovative code-as-art presentation. Jared also discussed standout moments like Tom Enebo’s talk on the Piet programming language and Nick Means’ keynote on AI and aviation. Looking ahead, Jared announced plans for RailsConf 2025 in Philadelphia, the Advent of Code livestreams, and his new newsletter for behind-the-scenes updates.&nbsp; Links: <a href="https://rubyconf.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">RubyConf</a><a href="https://railsconf.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">RailsConf</a><a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">StoryGraph</a><a href="https://adventofcode.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Advent of Code</a><a href="https://jardo.dev" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sign up for Jared’s Newsletter</a> Dead Code Podcast Links: <a href="https://hachyderm.io/@deadcode" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mastodon</a><a href="https://twitter.com/DeadCodePod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">X</a> Jared’s Links: <a href="https://supergood.social/@jared" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mastodon</a><a href="https://twitter.com/jardonamron" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">X</a> <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EqvOunHBObQ7liQYcjXMNGsOaZbxBms0XAZpxz-Lkao/edit?usp=sharing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Episode Transcript</a>

RubyConf Post-Mortem

In this Dead Code episode, Jared Norman hosts Aji Slater, Development Team Lead at thoughtbot, to discuss “incremental automation,” a concept that advocates for gradually automating tasks by refining them with small steps rather than investing large amounts of time upfront. Aji explains that capturing each step of repetitive tasks enables developers to tweak processes over time, which reduces friction and saves effort without disrupting workflows. Starting with “do-nothing scripts” that print steps or copy commands, developers can progressively automate, building efficiencies that enhance productivity and prevent burnout. Aji also emphasizes sharing these incremental improvements across teams, so everyone benefits from the refined workflows without repeating the same manual work. Links: <a href="https://tightlycoupled.dev/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tightly Coupled Book Club</a> Dead Code Podcast Links: <a href="https://hachyderm.io/@deadcode" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mastodon</a><a href="https://twitter.com/DeadCodePod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">X</a> Jared’s Links: <a href="https://supergood.social/@jared" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mastodon</a><a href="https://twitter.com/jardonamron" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">X</a> <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Tm0op0XwkICK84EFYtXiQnvuFEN5bJKyBj6f0kG0UO4/edit?usp=sharing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Episode Transcript</a>

Symphony of Automation (with Aji Slater)

In this Dead Code episode, Jessica Kerr (Jessitron) joins host Jared Norman to explore the evolving nature of experimentation and learning in software development. Jessica reflects on her shift from valuing software’s determinism to embracing the unpredictability of distributed systems and human factors. She explains that traditional scientific methods, like A/B testing, often fall short in complex, socio-technical environments, where dynamic learning and observing real-world impacts are crucial. At Honeycomb, she practices a holistic approach to experimentation, viewing each system and team as a “symmathesy”—a mutual learning environment where insights flow between developers and the software. Jessica emphasizes that continuous improvement relies on knowledge sharing and storytelling within teams, urging developers to approach retrospectives as genuine feedback loops to refine processes, connect with teammates, and foster growth. Links: <a href="https://jessitron.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jessica's Website</a> – Jessica’s personal website, where she shares her blog and more about her work.<a href="https://jessitron.com/camerata" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Symmathesy Talk at RubyConf</a> – Jessica's talk about symmathesy from RubyConf<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Learning-Systems-Thinking-Essential-Professionals/dp/109815133X" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Diana Montalion's Book on Systems Thinking: Learning Systems Thinking</a><a href="https://graceful.dev" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Graceful.Dev</a> – Jessica's platform for short educational videos.<a href="https://twitter.com/jessitron" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jessitron’s Twitter</a><a href="https://hachyderm.io/@jessitron" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jessitron’s Mastodon</a><a href="https://instagram.com/jessitronica" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jessitron’s Instagram</a><a href="https://www.honeycomb.io/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Honeycomb.io</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://agilemanifesto.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Agile Manifesto</a> Dead Code Podcast Links: <a href="https://hachyderm.io/@deadcode" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mastodon</a><a href="https://twitter.com/DeadCodePod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">X</a> Jared’s Links: <a href="https://supergood.social/@jared" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mastodon</a><a href="https://twitter.com/jardonamron" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">X</a> <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v0_dSnq3j1KQdVa4v-xD50hil3-WAaV-v0GuJ5rmTnk/edit?usp=sharing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Episode Transcript</a>

Everything is an Experiment (with Jessica Kerr)

In this episode of Dead Code, host Jared Norman talks with Andrew Atkinson, author of High Performance Postgres For Rails, about the benefits and recent updates to Postgres. Andrew shares why he prefers Postgres for its reliability, extensibility, and independence from corporate control, making it ideal for applications with complex or fluctuating data needs. They delve into Postgres 17’s new features, like JSONB functions for querying JSON as if it were relational data, improved MERGE operations for simplified upserts, and new returning clauses. Andrew’s book is designed for application developers seeking to optimize performance and security beyond ORM abstractions, with practical examples to help them harness Postgres’s full potential. Jared and Andrew agree that Postgres’s robust tools can elevate an application’s reliability, especially in high-demand scenarios like e-commerce, encouraging developers to explore its depth. Links: <a href="http://andyatkinson.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Andrew Atkinson’s Blog</a><a href="https://pragprog.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Andrew’s Book, High Performance Postgres For Rails</a><a href="https://www.postgresql.org/docs/release/17/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Postgres 17 Release Notes</a><a href="https://github.com/scenic-views/scenic" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Scenic Gem</a> (for managing database views in Rails)<a href="https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/functions-json.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">JSON Path Syntax</a> (for querying JSON data in Postgres)<a href="https://github.com/pgvector/pgvector" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">pgvector extension for Postgres</a> (for AI and vector search applications)<a href="https://www.timescale.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TimescaleDB Extension</a> (for time series data)<a href="https://github.com/citusdata/citus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Citus Extension</a> (for distributed Postgres workloads) Dead Code Podcast Links: <a href="https://hachyderm.io/@deadcode" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mastodon</a><a href="https://twitter.com/DeadCodePod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">X</a> Jared’s Links: <a href="https://supergood.social/@jared" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mastodon</a><a href="https://twitter.com/jardonamron" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">X</a> <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vtBDVDuIsbYJ4UTLmOH0PeC955mcZfSGvR2fnDItu_0/edit?usp=sharing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Episode Transcript</a>

Postgres and Destroy (with Andrew Atkinson)

A podcast about how the software industry got this way

The software industry has a short memory. It warps good ideas, quickly obfuscating their context and intent. Dead Code seeks to extract the good ideas from the chaos of modern software development.

Dead Code

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Jared Norman