Jemma Issroff - Running the Parser in the Rain

Maintainable

Robby has a conversation with Jemma Issroff, a Senior Software Engineer, speaker and the author of the book, “Ruby Garbage Collection in Under Two Hours” They delve into the intricacies of well-maintained software, and Jemma brings her wealth of experience, particularly from her involvement in Prism, a notable rewrite of the Ruby parser. The duo explores the contrasting dynamics of maintaining software in C versus Ruby, shedding light on the nuanced challenges and advantages each presents. As the conversation unfolds, they draw intriguing parallels between their approaches to utilizing advanced tools like ChatGPT and CoPilot in their respective workflows. Jemma also offers a sneak peek into her upcoming transition into the realm of artificial intelligence, adding a fascinating layer to the dialogue.

Beyond the tech talk, the episode takes an unexpected turn as the two bond over their shared affection for running in the rain and Jemma recounts her enriching experience at Recurse, a unique software programmers retreat. This episode is a captivating blend of technical expertise and personal anecdotes where rain-soaked runs and programming retreats add unexpected flavors to the conversation. Tune in for a unique exploration of the tech landscape that will definitely leave you inspired and informed.

Book Recommendations:

• Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

Helpful Links:

• Prism, a Ruby parser
• Shopify
• Anthrop\c
• Jemma.dev
• Recurse Center

Thanks to Our Sponsor!

Turn hours of debugging into just minutes! AppSignal is a performance monitoring and error tracking tool designed for Ruby, Elixir, Python, Node.js, Javascript, and soon, other frameworks.

It offers six powerful features with one simple interface, providing developers with real-time insights into the performance and health of web applications.

Keep your coding cool and error-free, one line at a time! Check them out!

Subscribe to Maintainable on:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify

Or search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.

Keep up to date with the Maintainable Podcast by joining the newsletter.