Ruby has a somewhat mixed reputation when it comes to ease of use and accessibility to programmers -- and, oddly enough, to non-programmers. Its "magic" and meta-powers are often seen as barriers to entry and progress. At the same time, the belief that Ruby is based on a universal POLS (Policy of Least Surprise) persists, and it isn't unusual to hear annoyance expressed when learning Ruby proves to be harder than falling off a log. This talk will explore and troubleshoot notions of ease of use, intuitiveness, and programmer friendliness, all in relation to Ruby the language and Ruby the programming-cultural entity.