#this sets up $main_sock to handle multiple connections...???
$readable_handles = new IO::Select();
$readable_handles->add($main_sock);

#this returns an array of readable (and writeable)
#handles/connections...???
$new_readable) = IO::Select->select($readable_handles, undef, undef+, 0);

#So now I can iterate through this array just like I would
#for any other, except it is an array of "connections"...
foreach $sock (@$new_readable)
  {

#in the case that ($sock == $main_sock) this means that
#I need to listen for & add any new connections to the 
#list of $readable_handles, but why not to $new_readable
#as well...???
    if ($sock == $main_sock)
    {
      $new_sock = $sock->accept();
      $readable_handles->add($new_sock);
    }
    else
    {
      $buf = <$sock>;
      if ($buf)
      {
#does the line $readable_handles->can_write() mean that
#these handles are not bidirectional...???
        print "$buf\n";
        my @sockets = $readable_handles->can_write();
        #print $sock "You sent $buf\n"; 
        foreach my $sck(@sockets){print $sck "$buf\n";}

      }
      else
      {
        $readable_handles->remove($sock);
        close($sock);
      }
    }
  }