Meet our 2025 speakers: Sergès You're in a Code Cult (And That's OK)

We are welcoming Sergès to their first FFCONF to talk about "You're in a Code Cult (And That's OK).

We want to thank Sergès for taking the time to answer our questions so we can all get to know her a little bit more before 14th November.

About Sergès and their talk

• Title: Sergès You're in a Code Cult (And That's OK)
• About the talk: Programming languages often become more than tools—they’re badges of belonging. This talk explores why devs fight fiercely over languages, even though they share so much in common, uncovering the culture and rivalries behind the code.
• Sergès' origin story: When I was 15, I went full hikikomori (iykyk) for an entire summer, locking myself in my parents' basement to build text-based RPG forums with good old HTML, CSS, and JS. I had no idea what I was doing—but I got so obsessed, I somehow turned it into a full-time thing.

The warm up

If your teenage basement self could see you now, what do you think they’d say about your “code cult” talk?

OMG, you're starting strong! I think my teenage, basement-dwelling self would be completely confused—and maybe a little amazed—if she saw my current talk. Mostly because, back then, I had no idea people could actually get paid to write what is essentially broken spaghetti code.

To me, software engineering looked like someone furiously typing green text on a black screen—nonsense words, Matrix-style. I knew there were different programming languages, but I didn't understand why. (Why couldn't they just agree on one?) I definitely didn't know there were entire communities built around them, or that they were in competition with each other.

So, yeah—15-year-old me would probably be a bit baffled... but also deeply intrigued.

When you need a break from all the 'code cults', what's your favourite way to remind yourself that it’s all just people (and fun) in the end?

As a JavaScript dev, I get roasted constantly—especially by PHP and Java developers. But at the end of the day, even they have to grudgingly touch JavaScript when their boss needs something on the frontend. So I laugh. Because JavaScript won. HAHA.

Okay, but seriously—what keeps me grounded is not taking it all too seriously. I've come to understand that in the history of software engineering, languages come and go. Trends rise and die. The key is to adapt, and not get too emotionally attached to any one technology. It's all just part of the cycle.

What’s the weirdest or most unexpected “badge of belonging” you’ve seen in a programming community — something that instantly marks you as an insider?

Maybe not the weirdest, but definitely the most surprising: the cult-like obsession with PHP's ElePHPant mascot. I know PHP devs who collect them like rare Pokémon and proudly display them everywhere. My sister's a PHP dev, and I once saw her squeal when she spotted a rainbow-colored ElePHPant. Apparently, they're super rare!

I haven't seen other communities care nearly as much about their mascot. Not gonna lie, as a JS dev, I'm kind of jealous. We just have... a yellow square. ::cries::

About the talk and the work

What first made you realise that programming languages can feel like clubs or fandoms?

There were two big moments. First, when I joined dev social media and saw how seriously people debated which language was "best". And second, when I started working on a team made up of devs from different tech stacks.

That’s when the roasting started—mostly at my expense, as a JavaScript dev. At first, I didn't get why people were so opinionated about languages. It honestly bothered me. But now, I've finally put all those thoughts and observations into words—or rather, into a talk.

Have you ever “switched cults” yourself—moved to a new language or framework and felt the culture shock?

Kind of! I started out on the frontend with React, then switched to Vue for a job. It wasn't a major cultural shift though. Most of the JS framework infighting seems to happen between React and Angular. Vue's kind of the quiet cousin in the corner, doing its own thing.

And at the end of the day, it's still JavaScript—just wearing different clothes.

What do you hope people take away from your talk when they next find themselves deep in a flame war over tabs vs spaces?

You want me to spoil my own talk? Rude. 😄

But okay—here's a teaser: I’m actually pro-arguing, as long as it's constructive and leads to better outcomes. Healthy debate is good! What matters is that we don't forget we're all just nerds trying to build cool stuff.

For the rest, you'll have to watch the talk. I promise it'll be fun and enlightening.