Been a while since I first came here... ~2001 or something as a lurker, and joined in ~2009 or so.

It's been a journey. It's late in what me and my family would call Christmas Day, but not too late to say Merry Christmas.

As I'm sure that isn't specific to me, there's been both personal loss, and loss to us within the community over the past year. I am writing this post not to contemplate loss, but to commemorate what we have gained. It is remarkable to me not just the quantity, but the actual quality of posts we've seen from newer members this past year. Not only that, but I see an upswing of newer members who are actually paying attention to subtleties of the old-timers. Learning old school Internet etiquette and actually using it. Not just here, but in the larger world.

This Christmas, I want to thank everyone here, former, current and future, for not only creating, carrying and moving forward Perl's legacy, but the legacy that we as Perl Monks care deeply about. Respect, Honour, Integrity. Caring about one another. Pass it forward. Do for the next person that someone has done for you.

I won't name names, but all y'all whom I'm speaking of will get a shiver when you read this, so take a bow.

Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year

-stevieb

20231225 2210 hrs PST