There are two kinds of questions asked in SoPW. The first is asked by those desperate only for an answer, due to inexperience, a project deadline, or some other dire need. The second is asked with a longer, more pedagogical view -- not only as a means for solving an immedate problem, but also to elucidate a broader principle or to lay bare an issue with the language. I believe that as we gain more experience in Perl Monks and with Perl itself, we each have a responsibility to take that longer view and to frame our questions for the benefit of the many. I try to do that whenever I can.

However, there are still times when a quick answer to an immediate problem is all we can afford the time to prep for. For me, this was one of those times, and -- Laziness being the virtue that it is -- I make no apologies for the brevity of my question. My objective was to get the best answer for the least effort and save the pedagogy for another day when I could afford the time. Even at that, I made certain to include adequate data for someone familiar with the issue (or, as it turns out, non-issue) to respond. What I lacked in detail, I hope I made up for in clarity, and even that required significantly more than "no effort".