Re: Perl Apprenticeship Program

> I am slightly worried about the "career path" dead-ending at personal
> lackey,
> however.  But, hey, that's why we're getting paid the big bucks, right?

I do have some concerns, but before I express them, I have a sidetrack
comment in this direction.

I have been programming in Perl since before I was programming in Perl. I
mean, I learned the perl language very shortly after the release of the
pink llama. It was two years later that I actually _executed_ my first
program on a Linux machine, and shortly after that on DOS in 1995ish(?).
All in all, this amounts to about six or seven years of mostly thinking
perlishly. It has affected my way of thinking, and every other language I
use is basically a disappointment. I've actually left a job because I
couldn't use perl... After you've figured out how to push a pole barn nail
into a tree with a fairly large hammer, you figure out that throwing
marshmellows at it, although they do eventually do the job, just isn't the
same thing. I've cared for the perl community, and fought for it, and even
put myself in danger for it... nate's even kicked me out of a list for
defending TOO much, even against the evils of python. ;-)

But all of this aside, I know my limits. I know that between perl code and
perl guts there's a barrier that I haven't crossed. As hard as I've tried,
I just haven't been able to climb that wall. I'm starving for meat, and
I've a ravenous hunger. It's time for me to cross over. How do I do it?

I was in martial arts for 16 years. I even had a school for a while, until
my financial partner ran out, the rat fink. Loving the arts, I tried going
to different schools, but I kept hitting brick walls, because I was at
just the right rank where I outranked most of the local teachers, and
didn't care for local 8th dans (korean instructors don't care for
financial competition in this area, it seems... no offense to koreans
[annyeong kessumnikka]). What I finally did, for the love of the art, was
go into a class as a white belt, and start all over again. It was a bit
odd having a white belt know poomse from several schools all the way up to
fifth dan, but we kept it quiet (even though they actually knew me from my
being on the judging panel for a couple high-rank tests in that school,
and some knew me from judging in the regional tourneys), and the kids I
think learned a lesson from it. You know what? So did I. I re-learned how
to be a student.

The point is, if I'm not awake too late to actually make sense, is that
"lackey" is not an appropriate word for this. Neither is "shit detail"
that I've read in a different post. I don't even really see it as a lesson
in humility, although for some that could be what it's all about. For me,
it's a chance to love my people, and to participate in fathering a child
I've come to care about for so long. It's time for me to cross over, and
since I haven't been able to do that by myself, I think this is a good way
to go. If there's any lackeyism or shit detail around, it's basically a
problem either in the master or in the apprentice... laziness in one or
the other, or ambition in the latter. It's a lack of paying attention.
It's a loss of focus. If you have any interest in it at all, don't do it
for the love of being a master, do it for the love of the community we're
forming, and the child we're constructing. Lose focus on that, you've no
business as master or apprentice, either one.

Also, as far as documentation goes, I think it _should_ be written by
apprentices, so that non-masters can understand it too. That's always been
a huge criticism of the perldocs. That's not grunt work. That's proper
allocation of duties to the best suited personnel for the benefit of the
project.

I'd be proud to have someone help me cross that wall, because I know that
after that, perl would be one man stronger for it. I have no problem
starting from step one, as long as I'm personally respected as a community
equal (though not a skill equal).

However, I do see some potential dangers. I don't think the're big ones,
but just things to watch out for. Maybe just some food for thought.

1. There's going to be 100 apprentice applicants for each master, you
know.

2. I'm afraid that the masters will eventually get so tired of apprentices
quitting, an "attitude" will form.

3. We seem to be creating a class system. Nate, this is one that I can see
as a must-be, so I'm not going in _that_ direction. But let's still
consider ourselves equal, regardless of rank, ok? Otherwise, perl 6 is a
wash, because it's just as much about community as it is about
programming.

4. Concerning documentation... take this as highly experienced advice: the
MASTER MUST create the initial docs, at least sketches. Even close
master/apprentice relationships can't make up for the programmer doing his
own initial work... even if he does leave it to the apprentice to fine
tune and finish up and fill in and connect the dots. Responsibility needs
to roll downhill too.

5. I was somewhat disturbed that masters could choose not to be "Masters".
(I understand it, but I don't have to like it.) There are probably several
reasons for such a choice from a master, but two are notable as extreme
opposites. Tom would never, because he would think that no apprentice
could ever reach near his level. It's simply his way. That's pretty ikky.
Dan I doubt would, but I'm sure would _love_ to. I've found him very
patient and helpful, but he's just plain too busy to take a leak between
lines of code (believe me, I know the feeling). The latter I understand,
the former... well, there's really nothing I can do but bitch and moan
about it. Self importance in a master is just as wrong as ambition in an
apprentice. Let's just hope there are people in the middle who can satisfy
enough hunger to make a nice healthy community apart from the previous
central oligarchy. Know ye well that if this is done properly, the
apprentices will learn patience from the master, and the master will learn
patience from the apprentice, and perl will become the new community it
aspires to be, and advocacy will again overtake python, and perl will rock
the house till the goose flies north for the winter. I mean, if and when
the apprentices become masters, if their masters have done their jobs, the
perl community will be a completely different place. It's "higher ranks",
both master and apprentice, will have learned tolerance and patience. At
least I hope that this accomplishes this. I don't think it's too high a
goal.

That's it, just my two cents worth. I had mixed feelings until I read this
post, which clarified it for me on an emotional level.

I have a suggestion as a follow up. Maybe the apprentices should have the
task of arguing for the masters. In correcting their own consignees, maybe
the masters will be able to see the other guy's point better and come to a
middle common-sense ground more quickly.

Nate, you want to apprentice me on the grand skill of keeping my big mouth
shut when it will get me into trouble even if the other guy's wrong? ;-))

pete