On Apr 18, 2011, at 7:07 AM, Shlomi Fish wrote: > You could have said that it is not a good thing, while being polite and much > less hostile and angry. As it is, you are scaring many people from this list.
You're right. I find it staggering that, on a list contributed to by so many intelligent, or at least technically proficient, individuals, there are these periodic outbursts of venom. I'm relieved to hear that there are others who are sensitive (yes, sensitive) to, and who object to, this behavior. I won't pretend to speak for anyone other than myself: I think Perl is a joy. I love it, and it has been immensely helpful. I appreciate that there are people who are willing to provide free assistance via this list (and others). But on the occasions I've had to post a question, I admit I've approached with a certain amount of apprehensiveness, if not dread. Oh, I cross my t's and dot my i's, use my stricts, trim my quotes, bottom my posts and so forth; you betcha. And actually, I've never been publicly reamed by anyone on this list. I've cringed and shouted "IDIOT!" at my screen when newbie posters fail to articulate, or analyze, or lift a finger to help themselves, but that's largely because I just *know* there's going to be another outburst of ugliness, sanctimoniously justified as intended to nip THEIR bad netiquette in the bud. I've tutored a few individuals in beginning programming, although not in Perl yet (or should it be perl? yikes). But I'd be very wary of advising newbies to use this list for their questions, without letting them know that, despite its self-description as "a list for beginning Perl programmers to ask questions in a friendly atmosphere," the word "friendly" is not universally observed. The FAQ states that Casey West, Kevin Meltzer and Ask Bjoern Hansen are maintainers of peace and order on the list. It would be interesting to hear if they think there's any truth, or concern, about scaring people away. If the answer is "tough - deal with it," that's okay. I don't claim any right to have it my way. I'm only one person, and the only thing it affects is my loyalty. I'll continue to use Perl, and to use the list until something better comes along. I just wish that I still wanted to brag about it. Sincerely, Chap Harrison -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: beginners-unsubscr...@perl.org For additional commands, e-mail: beginners-h...@perl.org http://learn.perl.org/
