What's the problem?

Some of you have noticed that my CGI course link was going to a 404 error. Due a clerical error at my ISP¹, my account was cancelled and the site taken down. The course is now back up and hopefully I'll have the time to do some work on it in the next couple of weeks. Of particular importance, I want to fix some of the misleading information in lesson 4, part 2, that mdillon alerted me to. If any others have suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them. If anyone has any sample stylesheets they would like to send, I'd appreciate those, too (grovel, grovel). I've gotten complaints that the course has dark text on a dark background which makes it difficult to read for people with poor monitors/eyesight.

Also, many people have told me that they voted a "10" for the course using the form I had on the first page. Naturally, since the form was provided by the the CGI Resource Index, it didn't work. If you would like to vote for the course, visit the link above. I need 5 more votes to qualify for their Top Rated Resources list. Currently, my course is their highest rated CGI course and, if it continues to receive high votes, it's likely to be their highest rated resource.

So why the shameless self-promotion, Ovid?

To be blunt, most online Perl/CGI courses are just awful. They make Matt's scripts look like the pinnacle of programming. I don't think there is much need to belabor this point as most of you know what I mean. By positioning this course higher in the ratings, people are more likely to see it and get good information. I think it's important to stem the tide of cargo-cult programming and I humbly submit that my course helps to do that.

What's in it for Perlmonks?

Well, nothing directly. However, the course has many links back to this site and, as I have gotten considerably more traffic than I expected, can drive people here and out of the hands of the cargo-cultists. Further, though I have written the bulk of the material for the course (with the exception of Appendix 1, for which we may thank tachyon), the course is truly a collaborative effort with Perlmonks. While I am no merlyn or TheDamian (or the much missed tilly), whatever Perl skill I have is largely attributable to the help of the Monks. Thanks to everyone for that.

Cheers,
Ovid

1. Clerical error: I got into a disagreement with Qwest communications. It seems that they wanted to be my ISP when I ordered broadband, even though I said I was keeping my current ISP. I wound up dropping the broadband order in disgust, and when the broadband order was cancelled, my account got cancelled as well.

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