I agree with your points and I think I agree with your conclusion. I do have at least one counterpoint, though.

One thing that helps keep other languages afloat in the corporate data centers is the number of certified and therefore nominally "qualified" personnel available. One of the reasons many data centers don't seek to use Perl is because they can't verify the number of people proficient with the language. You often see Perl mentioned as a "desirable" skill where another language is a "required" skill for just this sort of reason.

I like the idea bubaflub put forth in Re: Perl Certification ( oh yeah, it's that time again... almost ), but rather than martial arts perhaps I'd suggest building trades. Carpenters, bricklayers, stonemasons, electricians, and plumbers tend to have apprentices, journeymen, fellows, and master craftsmen. (In some instances journeyman/fellow is a single rank.) It's sort of a decentralized network of vouching for one another which is less formal than a certification and more formal than just displaying a portfolio or listing three references.

What would it take for you to feel comfortable vouching for someone as a good Perl programmer? Who would you call a Perl Master, ready to take on students or apprentices? Who would vouch for you? I think a common respect among a field and honest evaluation of one another could bring us a long way toward marketability. It's worked for centuries in other trades and professions.

In reply to Re^2: Perl Certification ( oh yeah, it's that time again... almost ) by mr_mischief
in thread Perl Certification ( oh yeah, it's that time again... almost ) by cosmicperl

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