At 12:45 PM 4/9/2002 -0500, _brian_d_foy wrote: >you also need to protect yourself, too. i've taught a lot of Perl and >every class has some really sharp people who know a lot more than i do >about a particular topic. if i start spouting off about Java, for >instance, i'll probably get trounced by the local Java expert and then >i'll look really foolish, which means everything else i say is >worthless. all i can relate is personal experience -- beyond that i'm >setting myself up for failure. if i don't know, i say "I don't know. >Why do you use Language Y?", and i get an education. :)
Amen. I deflect any argument in my classes by saying at the beginning, "I may be gung-ho about Perl, but my purpose is not to make you the same. I'm here to add to your repertoire, not to change your preferences." Not that I don't make the occasional remark about "bondage and discipline languages," though :-) But people understand by then that it's just my opinion and I'm making a joke, not attacking them.
