I've taken the other route - my day job is technical but I spend my evenings writing database and application code for the Green Party of Minnesota (GPM). I imagine that if I lost my technical job that I'd get another job, (whatever paid the bills) and continue to do my volunteer programming tasks. 95% of my perl knowledge has been gathered while volunteering - it just happens to be a space with almost infinite requirements for good software. I would advise anyone looking to learn perl and do some good along the way to go find groups you are interested in and start getting involved. For me this means I'm a regular member of the GPM and I do normal member things. I'm also on the database committee and I've written the majority of the code for our state integration project. Along the way I got the opportunity to help a candidate almost win a city council race (short by 97 votes), help get our very first statewide caucuses organized and now I'm working to integrate our various disparite database systems into a single server that can serve both state and local needs but can accomodate endorsed candidates as well.

I've learned PostgreSQL, OpenBSD, Perl, mod_perl, Lex/Yacc and a whole suite of modules. In support of making our IT systems be top-flight I've spent innumerable hours learning various techniques and strategies. The net effect is that the GPM wins (tools to effect change with) and I win. Just do it, get involved and the various needs will become apparent as you learn about the organization(s).

__SIG__
printf "You are here %08x\n", unpack "L!", unpack "P4", pack "L!", B::
+svref_2object(sub{})->OUTSIDE

[download]

In reply to Re: Volunteering as a way to learn more Perl by diotalevi
in thread Volunteering as a way to learn more Perl by bprew

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