My mentor's have been few but significant.

Don Elmore, Tom MacAnally, and Bob Koehler from HEM Data corp all taught me how true code poets think. Don is truly a genious, and could explain, down to simplistic levels, the most complex ideas (like sampling 1 million data points per second of live, analog data reliably and accurately every time to a windows based PC - no small feat). Tom has an application mind that was awesome and his ability to think out side the box and solve Customer problems and desires always amazed me. Bob is a workhorse, and had a grasp of algorithms that was staggering.

One of my current mentors (aside from groups like this), and one of my best friends is Edan Idzerda. He is the one that put me to work learning Perl, and it has been down hill ever since.

I think the first three taught me what it means to be a good mentor in this business. They challenged me to analyze problems myself. They would give me the tools, but never the answer. I'd like to think that I bring this with me as I work with the new programmers that work under me. I try to challenge them to see and undestand the problem, and then develop a solution, rather than continuing to churn over the problem, as many, many programmers due. Solution focused, that's me...

C-.