> Does 'Rube' have a negative connotation attached to it?
Yes, it does. Rubyists are typically called Rubyists or Ruby hackers if one does not wish to insult them. Calling a Rubyist ia "Rube" would be like calling a Pythonista a "Pyker" (reference to [piker](http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/piker), definition 2).
> Maybe I just haven't participated in enough Python-Ruby flamewars to know all of the 'secret' lingo that's only offensive to you if you are already part of that flamewar culture?
There's nothing "secret" about the insulting character of the term "rube".
Yes, it does. Rubyists are typically called Rubyists or Ruby hackers if one does not wish to insult them. Calling a Rubyist ia "Rube" would be like calling a Pythonista a "Pyker" (reference to [piker](http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/piker), definition 2).
> Maybe I just haven't participated in enough Python-Ruby flamewars to know all of the 'secret' lingo that's only offensive to you if you are already part of that flamewar culture?
There's nothing "secret" about the insulting character of the term "rube".