the "no good Perl jobs"/"no good Perl programmers" myth

[Peter Hickman]

Nicholas Clark wrote:
> Curious. Your firm makes websites for clients?
> I had a private reply from someone at a firm saying that it's hard to find
> Perl people who are motivated to make websites for clients. Is this a
> general case?
>
>   

We had applicants but they all seemed to be suffering from various 
issues, from not actually wanting to come into the office to thinking 
that Perl was the one true language.

We asked the question "What's wrong with Perl?" and, unless you are 
Larry Wall, MJD, Damien Conway or a select few, the wrong answer is 
"nothing, it's perfect". Especially if you can't back it up.

Hint: Perl 6 cannot be better that perfect.

> Also, if there aren't decent Perl programmers who want to make websites,
> what stops said firms from recruiting smart programmers straight out of
> university (who don't yet know what they want to do) and teaching them Perl?
>   

PHB diktat.

> I assume that with Java you can recruit your junior minions pre-trained.
>
>   

A graduate is likely to have Java and it is easier to assess their 
skills. I will have nothing said against the Java programmers we have 
employed, they are very good. But when I want bondage I want the taste 
of spittle on leather, not compiler errors. Hmmm. Too much information, 
I'll shut up now.

-- 
Peter Hickman.

Semantico, Lees House, 21-23 Dyke Road, Brighton BN1 3FE
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