It is easy to frame questions that are only tangently related to the language core, syntax, and grammar. While these questions may end up being OT, is seems that they more often than not provoke dialog. Oft times of the form "This isn't really On Topic, but you might be able to get the information from ______."; but often a discussion of "Methodology, Practive and Pitfalls" ensues. I see as a good thing. One of the main uses of the Monastary is fostering a dialog between old Perl-hands and the Nubi; as well as providing a place where novice Perlistas can learn through friendly conversation and gentle criticism of their code.

Perl Monks seem, by an large, to me a bit more civilized and measured in their response than many inhabitants of other Online Communities. (We can all fill in the name of our favorite USENET Flame Pool here.) I don't recall seeing an injunction to "keep your temper. Or else" in the PM FAQ, but that is the feeling I get in the Monastery. The Monastery seems to have an un-stated assumption that you will "type thrice, send once".

Perhaps this is a consequence of TIMTOWTDI, since there are four and twenty ways, I always find new (and often supprisingly simple) ways to address common idioms. Both the Snippets and Obfuscated Perl have provided rich veins, as well as the solutions that are evoked in the Replies to Questions.

Perhaps Perl, with its penchant for co-operation rather than combat breeds fewer hot-heads and holy-warriors. Maybe not.

I also think that The Monastery's self-moderation assists in the process of keeping our focus on Things Perl. Anything that is truely off-topic will not get approved for passing up to the rest of the membership. The marginally OT may get passed, but will be so marked.

In addition, the Monks have demonstrated in the past a panoply of knowledge on non-Perlish subjects. I would not think of posting a request for a good Baklavah recipe to SoPW; but I would not be supprised to find that the Collective Wisdom of the Monks has several good variants on my GrandMum's Secret Recipe.....