The problem with static media is that it gets out of date. People tend to see a "graven in stone" (or "etched in mylar," if you prefer) as being the last word. I don't think it is. What was idiomatic for Perl4 is not necessarily so for Perl 5.6. As I understand it, things are going to get a little weirder for Perl 6.

Setting aside the production issues, engraving the Monastery only gives you access to the good (and bad) knowledge posted to that point. Perl is evolving, as is our understanding of its use. Take, for example, a certain set of articles that (I hope) many some of us refer to on a regular basis. The code in the early columns is a different than the later ones--as they should be. Perl has evolved, CPAN has evolved, the author has evolved (I trust), and people's understanding of all involved has evolved. IOW, "idioms" are a moving target and CD's are nothing more than snapshots of the moment.

Net connections are more common than they used to be. I would rather see someone say, "Hey, is this still appropriate?" than run into the dweeb that says, "Well, according to the August 2001 edition of Perlmonks, you can't do that."

Remember, the Monastery is different than print media. Things change on a daily, perhaps even an hourly basis. While there may be a historical benefit to various snapshots, I believe that it's best to point folks to the latest and greatest...the best knowledge of the moment.

Don't get me wrong. If TPTB think this is great, I'll happily donate my burner and other assets to helping, however, I don't think this is as beneficial as you would hope.

--f

P.S. Have you ever worked with copy protection (CD Keys, as you put it)? It's difficult to do well. I've done it once (for pay); never again. If you're not honest enough to pay me, well, I hope you return as a fly on your next turn around the wheel.

P.P.S. Any, yes, all my shareware is registered. Why do you ask?