Re: (parental advisory) It's just f-ing poetry

[ccarden]

A vote against the node is not a vote against the node's creator. In fact, I think that when you see the number of comments on this node, you have to feel somewhat encouraged to keep working on this.

I am a poet, as are many programmers, and I found this not to be a very creative work. But not because of the language or the subject matter. Poems, no matter how angry or crass, should be elegant, in the sense that the poet deftly balances simplicity with complexity, without distractions caused by forcing certain lines to "work." To me, a good poem is the ultimate form of communication, in that it is very compact and yet performs so well in conveying imagery and ideas.

I wonder if that view would apply to a good program as well?

A Perl poem must be very difficult to create, indeed, and I applaud you for trying something that I have not yet the courage to attempt, myself. At its best, you will create something of some meaning to the reader and something of function to the user.

I say keep honing your work, PodMaster, and don't view criticism as political flak. Perhaps some of it is not helpful to you, but the fact that someone took the time to respond means that there is something to be learned ... even if it is just that everyone has their own opinion about what poetry is or is not.