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I'm back, sorta

by tilly (Archbishop)
on May 01, 2003 at 15:05 UTC ( [id://254662]=perlmeditation: print w/replies, xml ) Need Help??

Effective today (May 1) I am no longer employed. Effective tomorrow I am taking an extended vacation on the West Coast. Which means that I will be on perlmonks from time to time, but my access to the Internet will be flaky. So I will be around..but sporadically. Oh, and I have an insane backlog of messages to go through. (Over 100. On the + side I gained 1695 XP. :-)

About the vacation. On Friday I fly out to Oregon, and I start travelling around. The main purposes of this trip are to meet family, meet friends, and get a picture of the overall job situation. (Yeah, pitiful to non-existent. I know. I need to find out where the relatively bright "pitiful" spots are versus the hopeless "non-existent" ones...) So far I am planning to be at (but not as a speaker!) the May 14 perlmongers meeting in Portland, OR, and the May 20 Seattle meeting. So far I seem likely to miss Vancouver. And starting somewhere in late May until June 20 I will be in California. (Yeah, I know that I am missing the July OSDN in Portland - I didn't have complete freedom in choosing my timing.) Unfortunately there seem to be a shortage of organized events there - I may have to invent locations and dates and hope that something can be pulled together. Anyone with ideas for events that I should try to make can contact me here, or send email to ben_tilly at my operamail.com address.

Also my impresssion is that in my absence my reputation has expanded beyond the reality. I hope that nobody is too dismayed by how much I will fall short of an ideal that nobody could match.

Of course in some ways I was never absent. I only monitored perlmonks sporadically, but did continue to post anonymously. Here is a sample:

  1. Re: (OT) Should math (or adv. math) be required in CIS degrees?
  2. Re: mergesort scratch space question (note - when I did check, this algorithm improvement was an exercise in Knuth)
  3. Re: Simplicity vs. Doing It Right
  4. Re: Re: Perl falls victim to shifting trends(Opinions/Comments From The Other Side)
Of course the vast majority of excellent anonymous posts were not mine. If there were people who read Anonymous Monk because you thought that he might be me, please continue paying attention to our anonymous guests because they are often well worth paying attention to.

Also I note that if I spent less time here, I spent more elsewhere. For instance I had more room to write posts like My thoughts on free trade and white collar jobs and Election machine conflicts of interest which express what I think on topics far from Perl.

Furthermore I should address the question of why I was gone for so long. As many who have been around the block a few times know, for every public story there are several private stories that only sometimes get heard. That is the case here. I won't talk about the details, but suffice it to say that when organizations take a close look at whether they should be enforcing rules against someone, there is some triggering event. To name one recent incident, the first reports of DARPA funding being pulled from OpenBSD said that it was because the military feared that OpenBSD would be used by terrorists. The real story, of course, was that Theo made nasty comments about the US military, and the wrong people got upset over it. Similarly I created my own problems, but unlike Theo they got resolved and my situation with my employer was sufficiently good that I chose to live with the result for over a year. (My reason for leaving now is due to my desire to leave NYC now that I can, and not any conflict with my employer.)

So now that this is posted, time to sort through my huge backlog of messages...

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: I'm back, sorta
by Ovid (Cardinal) on May 01, 2003 at 15:29 UTC

    Glad you're finally back! I look forward to having you make me look stupid again :)

    For any newer monks who may wonder what this is about, let's just say that tilly is someone worth paying attention to. He writes well and his Perl Fu is top-notch.

    Cheers,
    Ovid

    New address of my CGI Course.
    Silence is Evil (feel free to copy and distribute widely - note copyright text)

Re: I'm back, sorta
by boo_radley (Parson) on May 01, 2003 at 15:48 UTC

    Welcome back, Tilly.

    Effective today (May 1) I am no longer employed.
    I hope things ended amicably for you. Was the restriction on your open source/ outside work a factor in leaving (if you did leave, rather than being invited to leave)?

    Also my impresssion is that in my absence my reputation has expanded beyond the reality.
    This originally started off as a plan for wholesale character assassination, but things got a bit mixed up. Now that you've reminded us, we can begin slandering again.

    Also, now I'm stuck with 2 gross FREE TILLY stickers. What am I going to do with them all?
    Again, welcome back.

      My second-to-last paragraph should answer why I left. The short version is that some around here will recall that I never liked NYC and only lived here for my wife's sake. Now that I don't have to live here, I want to move away. This has nothing to do with my employer.

      The long version...well listening to me rant about disliking NYC would take a while, and I have a lot to do between now and being on a plane early tomorrow morning...

      As for the stickers, feel free to bring them to a meetup where I will be... ;-)

Re: I'm back, sorta
by shotgunefx (Parson) on May 01, 2003 at 17:33 UTC
    Welcome back! 1695 XP? I guess will have to add exile to the list of XP Whoring. :P

    Why I like functional programming is still my favorite node. Good to have you back at the Monestary.

    -Lee

    "To be civilized is to deny one's nature."
      The trick is to have lots of nodes that people like before you go on exile...

      As for functional programming, I like it but I wish that I had known more about the programming style which already had the name "functional programming" when I wrote that node. What I described is similar, but not the same, and I fear that I have created a bad meme among Perl programmers which nothing can be done about. :-(

      PS And both for this and for all of the messages that I am not replying to personally, thanks for welcoming me back. :-)

        Perhaps poorly named, but it certainly got me thinking along new lines. It might not be haskell but no single node has had such an impact on the way I look and approach a problem. It just got my mind working in many new directions.

        -Lee

        "To be civilized is to deny one's nature."
Re: I'm back, sorta
by theorbtwo (Prior) on May 01, 2003 at 21:29 UTC

    Have you ever considered writing a book? I'd certainly be interested in an "Introduction to Computer Science for Perl Programmers" book, or a "Functional Programming and Perl", or even "Different Ways to Program Perl".

    I actually think there are a lot of ad-hoc perl programmers who would like more formal knowledge of the subject.

    (castaway says "/me­too".)


    Warning: Unless otherwise stated, code is untested. Do not use without understanding. Code is posted in the hopes it is useful, but without warranty. All copyrights are relinquished into the public domain unless otherwise stated. I am not an angel. I am capable of error, and err on a fairly regular basis. If I made a mistake, please let me know (such as by replying to this node).

      I am not adverse to writing a book but I won't put out the tremendous amount of necessary energy unless I had something specific to write about that I don't feel anyone else covers well enough.

      Which makes a topic harder to come up with that you might think. For instance Dominus is writing the functional programming book, and there already is a good algorithms book...

      Aloha friend, a few comments:

      How would an intro to compsci be different for Perl programmers than any other programmer? For that matter, would it even be different enough from existing texts to warrant a separate book with a narrower target audience? With regards to functional programming, that is covered to some extent in every Perl book. You might also want to look at Computer Science and Perl Programming (slightly misleading title).

      As for Perl books (assuming you mean Perl 5), I think the market has been adequately saturated. There are a great deal of very high quality books on almost every Perl 5 topic around. I think most people would much rather see efforts be focused on Perl 6 and Parrot documentation.

      Also of consideration is the fact that writing books isn't for everyone. While you can learn a fair bit while writing a book, many people find it incredibly tedious work. You're mostly just translating what you already know into format that other's can learn easily from. Often you do not acquire much new technical knowledge in the process. This is why documentation for many open source projects lags behind. Don't let this discourage you though, sharing knowledge is an truly altruistic endeavour.

      Thanks for your time :)

Re: I'm back, sorta
by VSarkiss (Monsignor) on May 01, 2003 at 15:49 UTC

    <aol>Me too</aol>

    Good to have you back. I was going to /msg welcome to you, but I figure I'll let you dig out of the backlog first. ;-)

      Well actually the backlog is mostly cleared by now. Mostly because I was just really, really fast on checking the delete box and then submitting...
Re: I'm back, sorta
by dragonchild (Archbishop) on May 01, 2003 at 15:17 UTC
    Welcome back! It's good to have you (publicly) home.

    ------
    We are the carpenters and bricklayers of the Information Age.

    Don't go borrowing trouble. For programmers, this means Worry only about what you need to implement.

    Please remember that I'm crufty and crochety. All opinions are purely mine and all code is untested, unless otherwise specified.

Re: I'm back, sorta
by mpeppler (Vicar) on May 01, 2003 at 15:39 UTC
    Great to have you back - you've been missed!

    Michael

Re: I'm back, sorta
by valdez (Monsignor) on May 01, 2003 at 15:43 UTC

    Nice to meet you :) Ciao, Valerio

Re: I'm back, sorta
by Necos (Friar) on May 01, 2003 at 17:16 UTC
    In the long list of names, I won't be the last to say welcome back tilly. You have been missed. I'll be glad to be able to read your posts again (no more trying to figure out if you're hiding under the AMonk mask). I wish your return was under better circumstances, but it's good to have you back nonetheless.

    By the way, if you're doing anything in SoCal (Los Angeles, to be exact), please send me an email or a private message. I live about 15 minutes from the Los Angeles Convention Center, and would love to hear you do a talk. I think all of us would (^_^). Again, welcome back. I wish you the best.

    Theodore Charles III
    Network Administrator
    Los Angeles Senior High
    email->secon_kun@hotmail.com
    perl -e "map{print++$_}split//,Mdbnr;"
      Putting together a talk won't happen for this trip. I am travelling sans computer. However I have several leads to track down in LA, so I will be there, and am hoping that there is some kind of social event (or technical with someone else talking) that I can go to...

        Putting together a talk won't happen for this trip. I am travelling sans computer.

        Wow, I wonder what Thomas Jefferson or Sir Isaac Newton did, when preparing for talks. ;)

        --
        [ e d @ h a l l e y . c c ]

        Hmmm... Well, I'll keep my eyes open. The only thing I can think of off-hand is the Los Angeles Linux Users Group meeting. But, again, I'll keep my eyes peeled. I'll private message you if I hear anything.

        Theodore Charles III
        Network Administrator
        Los Angeles Senior High
        email->secon_kun@hotmail.com
        perl -e "map{print++$_}split//,Mdbnr;"
Re: I'm back, sorta
by crenz (Priest) on May 01, 2003 at 16:57 UTC

    Well, it sort of feels weird to say "hi" to somebody that has been here long before me, and whom I've never met :). However, I've read quite a number of your posts, and gathered the impression that you really shaped PerlMonks in a very positive way. So let me say "It's good to have you back!", and I'm looking forward to your posts.

Re: I'm back, sorta
by cacharbe (Curate) on May 01, 2003 at 18:03 UTC

    Ditto on the Welcome back.

    It's good to know that you are BAK in regards to Perl Monks.

    Have fun on your vacation / tour, and don't come to Detroit. The job market sucks for IT positions of any merit. Not that you would come here, I mean, who would ( I was born here and haven't had the sense, or luck, to get out)?

    Peace.

    C-.

    ---
    Flex the Geek

Re: I'm back, sorta
by logan (Curate) on May 01, 2003 at 19:17 UTC
    Welcome back, Tilly.

    If you're going to fly to Oregon, I presume you'll be flying into Portland. While there, do not miss an opportunity to visit Powell's Books. It's simply the best bookstore in the world; a full city block packed with books. It's one of the best things about Portland. Oh yeah, and no sales tax. Ka-CHING!

    -Logan
    "What do I want? I'm an American. I want more."

Re: I'm back, sorta
by Anonymous Monk on May 01, 2003 at 23:21 UTC
    The real story, of course, was that Theo made nasty comments about the US military, and the wrong people got upset over it

    Don't be so sure. There are many forces at work that do not concern themselves with comments posted in the Globe and Mail. As you suggest, there's often much more to such situations than meets the common eye.

    Also my impresssion is that in my absence my reputation has expanded beyond the reality. I hope that nobody is too dismayed by how much I will fall short of an ideal that nobody could match.

    I wouldn't worry too much about that. The reputation isn't so much a technical expertise one (not that it would be unwarranted) as it was one for being helpful and speaking up when something needed to be said. I fully encourage you to continue this trend, afterall, Perlmonks can be (and arguably is) so much more than just code.

    please continue paying attention to our anonymous guests because they are often well worth paying attention to.

    *Sheds a single tear ;-)

    and get a picture of the overall job situation.

    Have you considered Canada? Our economy is doing exceptionally well and we promise we won't declare you an enemy combatant and lock you up without a speedy trial ;-).

    Oh yeah, welcome back :)

      I have considered Canada, but unless my wife redid all of her medical licensing tests, that won't work. (Of course citizenship isn't a problem for me since I am a dual US/Canadian citizen...)

      And yes, I feel that my non-code contributions were equally important (if not more so) than my technical ones. However sometimes saying what I think needs to be said on a non-technical level leads to conflict. This is where people are most likely to decide that I have a case of head up *ss syndrome and react accordingly... (Particularly when I am wrong and don't realize it!)

        sometimes saying what I think needs to be said on a non-technical level leads to conflict

        Since when is conflict a bad thing?

        This is where people are most likely to decide that I have a case of head up *ss syndrome and react accordingly

        I fail to see the problem. If you're correct, you'll be attempting to show others an improved approach. If you're incorrect, you'll have the chance to learn something new. Seems like a win-win situation to me.

        I have considered Canada, but unless my wife redid all of her medical licensing tests, that won't work.

        Damn proprietary protocols ;)

Re: I'm back, sorta
by silent11 (Vicar) on May 01, 2003 at 18:18 UTC
    It's wonderful to have you back tilly!

    -silent11

      Woa, FoTR flashback alert! ;-)

Welcome Back tilly!
by defyance (Curate) on May 01, 2003 at 15:45 UTC
    I'm sure everyone here is looking forward to more of your wisdom, I know I am!!

    -- Can't never could do anything, so give me and inch, I'll make it a mile.

Re: I'm back, sorta
by Huele-pedos (Acolyte) on May 01, 2003 at 16:32 UTC
    We've missed you! Great to have you back!
Re: I'm back, sorta
by The Mad Hatter (Priest) on May 01, 2003 at 16:58 UTC
    Welcome back and glad to meet you! I've heard great things about you and read a bunch of your nodes (which are execellant).
Re: I'm back, sorta
by petesmiley (Friar) on May 01, 2003 at 19:53 UTC
    Well, welcome back to your tilly hat.

    smiles

Re: I'm back, sorta
by TStanley (Canon) on May 02, 2003 at 14:35 UTC

    YAHOOO!!!



    Welcome back tilly! We all look forward to reading your excellent posts :-)

    TStanley
    --------
Re: I'm back, sorta
by giulienk (Curate) on May 02, 2003 at 19:21 UTC
    Welcome back :)

    Just to be different I will say my favourite node by you isn't this but instead Functional take 2. Have you ever thought to render that code into a full module available on CPAN? It's a while I'm using your code to strip "evil" HTML from posts in my web applications and I think it deserves its own place on CPAN, for all people should know about such (useful|cool|great) code.

    Anyway have a good trip and relax plenty. :)


    $|=$_="1g2i1u1l2i4e2n0k",map{print"\7",chop;select$,,$,,$,,$_/7}m{..}g

Re: I'm back, sorta
by davis (Vicar) on May 02, 2003 at 08:54 UTC
    To echo what everybody else has said:
    Welcome back tilly, you've been missed.
    davis
    It's not easy to juggle a pregnant wife and a troubled child, but somehow I managed to fit in eight hours of TV a day.
Re: I'm back, sorta
by Coruscate (Sexton) on May 03, 2003 at 05:47 UTC

    This was definitely a long-awaited post. Welcome home :) Hope things are going alright for you after all the legal mumbo jumbo they pulled on you. Are you planning on leaving your oxygen mask/tank combo behind in NYC? Your lungs might get a decent break ;} As well, I second the motion to drag your butt to the northern land known as Canada. Maybe you can move in next door and I can bum off the internet backbone lines you must surely have for your computer... no more calls from the cable company saying I use too much bandwidth :)

    /me hopes that NodeReaper doesn't decide to come along and take back the 1965 XP. I assure you that at least most of that was well-earned! Welcome back, we're glad you've found your way back (and remembered your perlmonks password).


    If the above content is missing any vital points or you feel that any of the information is misleading, incorrect or irrelevant, please feel free to downvote the post. At the same time, please reply to this node or /msg me to inform me as to what is wrong with the post, so that I may update the node to the best of my ability.

Re: I'm back, sorta
by bbfu (Curate) on May 02, 2003 at 16:52 UTC

    Welcome back, tilly. I look forward to you being able to openly contribute on a regular basis again. We missed you!

    And good luck on your job search. May you find a new job, better than the last job! :)

    bbfu
    Black flowers blossom
    Fearless on my breath

Re: I'm back, sorta
by mattr (Curate) on May 03, 2003 at 13:18 UTC
    Welcome back, Tilly! Good to have you back, I wish you luck in finding work. Looking forward to reading your posts. Matt Rosin
Re: I'm back, sorta
by webfiend (Vicar) on May 04, 2003 at 00:37 UTC

    Excellent. Welcome back (officially back, that is). I hope whatever private stories are involved with this change have also been resolved with a minimum of fuss. Your future posts are greatly anticipated. The Why I Like Functional Programming post got me started down the slippery slope of LISP and Scheme. Thanks for contributing to my expansion beyond the world of C-based languages :-)


    I just realized that I was using the same sig for nearly three years.

      I don't mean to sound trollish, but why does everyone seem to be going nuts over Why I Like Functional Programming? I've read it three times and I still don't see what's so original/insightful etc about it. Could someone enlighten me? thanks

        I just liked it because it was a different approach to writing code than I had used before, but written in very comfortable, familiar terminology. So it's not so much that it's a great enlightenment on functional programming. More like it nudged my brain out of a particular pattern. That's all.

        It doesn't have to be perfect, just different from what I've already seen.


        I just realized that I was using the same sig for nearly three years.

Re: I'm back, sorta
by sauoq (Abbot) on May 12, 2003 at 19:39 UTC

    Welcome back.

    I wasn't here when you parted but I've greatly enjoyed the wealth of well-reasoned and well-written nodes you left in your wake.

    Thanks for those.

    On the + side I gained 1695 XP.

    Is that it?!

    -sauoq
    "My two cents aren't worth a dime.";
    
Re: I'm back, sorta
by arhuman (Vicar) on May 09, 2003 at 15:15 UTC
    I'm so glad you're back...
    Monastery hasn't be the same without you.
    I'm impatiently waiting for your (new) words of knowledge...


    "Only Bad Coders Code Badly In Perl" (OBC2BIP)
Re: I'm back, sorta
by Sihal (Pilgrim) on May 07, 2003 at 09:40 UTC
    Glad to have you back considering the vast amount of stuff I learned while reading your posts!
    A warm and glad welcome back ! And I hope you are here to stay :)

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