in reply to Stepping in the Footprints of a Perl Programmer

What do you want ?? You are a perl programmer ..you are a programmer who writes perl. The IT bis is brilliant .. really it is there are always new challenges and new things to learn. If you ever get to a place where you feel you have learned everything you are deluding yourself. The trick is to see yourself in perspective from where you have been and where you are going.

Dont compair yourself to others and see yourself lacking there will always be people more able than yourself. Compair yourself to the you of last month know you are a better person, programmer. Remember that on forums like perlmonks you are talking to the top 10% of the industry so chill. To quote from desiderata:

Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.


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Zigster

  • Comment on Re: Stepping in the Footprints of a Perl Programmer

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Re: Re: Stepping in the Footprints of a Perl Programmer
by magnus (Pilgrim) on Feb 09, 2001 at 18:30 UTC
    i was actually looking for a some "this is/was my experience..." i realize that comparsion never brings anything but dissillusionment...

    but your point is well taken, when dealing with the creme de la creme... =)

    magnus
[reply]
      I started with Perl AFTER I graduated with a CS degree. I graduated one year and eight months ago, and I have had three jobs (including my current one) that allowed me to use Perl.

      I was first exposed to Perl about 1996, when I was busy learning C++, Unix, and basic OOP stuff. I really wanted to learn Perl at that time - but I was not ready. What I mean is that I could write Perl like a second semester C++ student would attempt, but the serious stuff did not come until after I did it the hard way with other languages.

      Now I am trying to piece together all the little puzzle parts that were taught to me in my CS courses. This is something I will (hopefully) never finish, becuase the point of the journey is not to arrive - it's to keep learning. The more languages you understand, the more you understand about the essence of what a language is. In our case, it's just ways of arranging one's and zero's to get little chips to work in harmony with each other.

      I read from my Geek books everyday, even if I only have time to look at one page. I go back over the books that I have already read and try to engrave that knowledge permanantly into my head. The doctor says I should be out in a couple of months, but that's another story . . .

      So where am I now? Not too much further away from were I was 4 years ago. One day at a time . . . :)

      Jeff 

      R-R-R--R-R-R--R-R-R--R-R-R--R-R-R--
L-L--L-L--L-L--L-L--L-L--L-L--L-L--
[reply]
      If you are asking when do you 'become a programmer' is there a moment of clarity and revalation? Dunno aint happened to me yet but I hope it never does. Looking for the revelation is the fun. I would hate to not want to know more stuff. I like learning.
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      Zigster
[reply]
Re: Re: Stepping in the Footprints of a Perl Programmer
by sierrathedog04 (Hermit) on Feb 10, 2001 at 00:29 UTC
    Although the 80's singer Rick Springfield isn't a Perl programmer, he did once say something that was quite relevant to Perl. After he hit it big he looked back over his 15 years of struggling to get there and advised:
    "Never compare yourself to anyone else, because you are your own worst critic, and you will always come up short."
    Along the same lines is the Stanislaw Lem short SF story "Tales of Pirx the Pilot" in which Pirx was the pilot everyone compared themselves to.

    Can I do something in Perl that Merlyn or Mirod cannot? Not likely, but maybe someday.

[reply]
      I would disagree with the last paragraph. Stuff is only hard when you dont know how to do it. It is one of the great ironies of life. It is always hard to apreciate your own knowledge, well because you know it ;-) . There is no accounting aspects of your knowledge, things you find trivial, that other people will yearn for.
      --

      Zigster
[reply]

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