My opinion is that Ruby has symbols for strings that are static - part of the program - and normal strings for dynamic runtime data. Separating the two is usef

My opinion is that Ruby has symbols for strings that are static - part of the program - and normal strings for dynamic runtime data. Separating the two is useful semantically because it lets you differentiate between the two - and because these two kinds of string are better off being implemented and optimised in different ways. So it's both UX and practical mechanical sympathy.