I've had mixed feelings about my experience on this list so far. I'm sharing these opinions because I feel it would be awesome if this list seemed friendlier to beginners.
Several years ago I subscribed to this list and unsubscribed almost as quick as I could. The harshness of the responses seemed unwarranted and I, as a programmer exploring perl, felt I would be happier among a different group of peers. A month ago, I subscribed to this list again, but this time I resolved to having more tolerance for some of the bitterness. I don't know the history of the relationships forged here on this list but maybe if I did I would understand more of what appears to be bitterness. But I'm not sure I should have to understand. So, to put a very fine point on this paragraph, from the perspective of a new person on this list, I'm witnessing what seems like excessive bitterness and personal attacks on the skills of individuals. The list appears hostile IMO. I'm purposely avoiding details and specifics because I don't want to single out individuals. It's my opinion that doing so may be counter productive. Not everyone engages in hostile (IMO) activities and even those who do, don't do so all the time. On a very positive note, I've seen good and helpful advice offered. I hope to be considered a part of what makes this list great someday. The knowledge of perl shown by some of the lists participants is impressive. And I'm thankful that this list isn't just a list of beginners helping beginners but also that there are several seasoned perl programmers participating. -- Ronald Weidner
