[Zope] Re: [Zope-Annce] ANN: Perl For Zope - why I'm bummed

[Ken Manheimer]

On 25 May 2000, Roman Milner wrote:

> >>>>> "KM" == Ken Manheimer <klm@digicool.com> writes:
> 
>     KM> I have some misgivings with this outlook.  It sounds like
>     KM> people who seek job security by having expertise with a system
>     KM> that closes out unfamiliar options - whether the options are
>     KM> better or worse.
> 
> I'm not in any way unfamiliar with perl.  If this had been a language
> that I didn't know or, or any technology that I didn't know - I
> would have an opened mind.  I've been down the perl road, and have made a
> personal choice never to do it again.

I should have used "unwelcome" instead of "unfamiliar" in that
sentence - i tried to say that in a number of ways, eg:

Me> For all of you that love Python, and testify to either leaving perl
Me> with great relief or not being willing to learn it in the first place

> [...]

> I think that anyone who wants to claim Zope expertise will need to
> know and be willing to code in perl.

I dunno.  There may be some Zope jobs where knowing perl would be
necessary, but there may also be some jobs where knowing XML, SQL,
XLST(?), WebDAV, the ZODB, SSL, LDAP, Oracle, medusa, C, *all* sorts
of things would be necessary.  Maybe you're proficient with all those
things - i'm not!  The thing is, Zope is an extensible ORB whose
primary purpose in life is to connect disparate things together - you
shouldn't need to be proficient with every aspect of it, in order to
have mastery with it.

I guess i can understand being uncomfortable with seeing a transition
from a somewhat closed, very attractive (python) world to a more
wide-open one that includes less attractive elements.  Nonetheless, i
really think this ultimately means that your zope skills are going to
be more valuable, whether or not they include the perl aspect, because
zope as a whole will have wider acceptance, a firmer place in the
world.

(Do you think the perl folks are, conversely, going to feel they have
to know python?  I have to say, i esteem python enough to think that
the ultimate result will be increasing prevalence and preference for
python.)

Ken Manheimer
klm@digicool.com