On Tue, Apr 6, 2010 at 5:56 PM, Harry Putnam <rea...@newsguy.com> wrote:
> [This message was inadvertently originally posted in a totally > inappropriate group, so reposted here where it was supposed to have > gone] > > Sorry that this is something of a ramble. > > I've been using perl for several yrs, only home scripting on local lan > and whatever random notions of a program I happen to want. > > No other programming skills except a little shell scripting. > > I've been at least part way thru several of the perl books, and read > several tutorials... and even practiced some of the techniques. > > It usually works like this: I dig around for the techniques I need > for whatever current project I'm working on... often ending up here. > > However, I've come to the conclusion, with that kind of background and > current usage, I will never really become skilled or even proficient > with perl. > > Then I look at what things I have become skilled and proficient with, > and they are inevitably things I've done for a job. In my case, I was > a construction boilermaker and over the years became a skilled welder, a > high rigger and even a decent layout man. > > In every case the skill was something I did 8hr a day for mnths and > yrs. before becoming truly skilled at it. > > So, I'd like to find a job, that requires me to program in perl. > > I realize there are many listings in places like: > jobs.perl.org [com] > > But looking thru them one sees immediately that in most cases the > prospective employer is looking for a master programmer. Or at least > a highly skilled programmer. > > I have yet to run into one where the employer is after a wannabe > programmer who promises to do their best. > > So, I'm wondering where one might find a place to use whatever small > amount of programming they have and be expected to learn enough to be > a real asset over the course of a yr or two. > > A place where one would be expected to produce programs regularly. > > This doesn't actually have to be a paying job... I'm retired and do > have an income. But it would need to be a situation where I was > expected to produce something on a continuing basis. (Of course the > prospect of pay, somewhere along the line would be a further benefit). > > I'm thinking some kind of open source project that could make use of > someone with only light weight skills starting out. > > And when I say light weight... I really mean it. I didn't graduate > high school, and never went beyond that in formal education. Anything > to do with programming is strictly self taught and therefore has > gaping holes in it. > > On the other hand, I am capable of writing semi complex programs and > have written dozens, probably over 100 by now, of scripts for my own > use. > > So, cutting to the chase, where does someone look for that kind of > opening? > > > -- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: beginners-unsubscr...@perl.org > For additional commands, e-mail: beginners-h...@perl.org > http://learn.perl.org/ > > > I would say have a poke around on Sourceforge (http://www.sourgeforge.com/) or on Google code (http://code.google.com) and see what you can find there. There are hundreds of projects out there that require anything from a very skilled programmer to someone that is able to do basic coding and have some knowledge of perl. The most important thing at least for me is to pick a project that you would use your self something that really makes you feel like your contributions are worth while. If you can use it and see the benefit form using it then it is not unlikely someone else will enjoy your work as well. I my self have learned PHP in that way, by simply getting my hands dirty and starting to resolve tickets and feature requests for an open source project. In the end it even ended up getting me some money when people where asking me to do custom development for them. And the best thing of all I used most of the code I wrote my self as well on my own site so most of my effort benefited not just others but myself as well. Regards, Rob
