I suppose by "CPAN" you mean something like:

See ACME::Plugh on CPAN. ??

Both are useful, with separate but overlapping usefulness.

CPAN, being rather large and forbidding, casts a long shadow over the new Perly. It may take a long time to find an answer if one exists (without specific directions), and the Perly is able to find it. Solutions are more general there, but also numerous. It can take some research to find a solution.

OTOH, giving code examples can make it too easy for the new Perly to avoid commitment and real learning.

A balance of code hints, explanations, and references (to perldoc, CPAN, Perl Monks, C.L.P.M, and/or dead trees) is more useful to the Perly, and the the community.

Ultimately we want not just Perly fishers, but Perly teachers, who contribute to the community, and Perly fish farmers, who breed new fish.

-QM
--
Quantum Mechanics: The dreams stuff is made of

In reply to Re: Is CPAN fish or fishing? by QM
in thread Is CPAN fish or fishing? by BrowserUk

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