Stas Bekman wrote:
>
> Hi, folks
>
> You wouldn't beleive but I receive a great deal of mod_perl job offers.
> Here is a partial quote of the most generic content of the offer:
>
> At any rate, we're finding it very hard to find mod_perl people and I
> thought maybe you could refer me to someone you know. I can tell you
> more about the client and the positions if you're interested.
>
> Which makes me thinking that we are too few and the demand is growing
> (which is good for us :), but from the other side it's bad for mod_perl,
> as when a project staff understands the power of mod_perl and want to use
> it but have no experience with mod_perl and can hire none of mod_perl
> programmers, there is no other choice left as to use some other probably
> worse technology because they could dig up the required man power that has
> the required knowledge in the other field.
Stas, ever since you made that remark at the O'Reilly Conference,
wishing that there was no such thing as money, I have known that you and
I are of the same opinion regarding economics. Sadly, we seem to be
stuck in this money-driven system for at least a little while more.
There can be no such thing as a shortage of mod_perl programmers. When
someone says that they can't find mod_perl people, what they really mean
is that they can't find mod_perl people for the price they are willing
to pay. We are expensive, you see. Frequently the prospective employer
of a mod_perl person will decide that they simply cannot afford to go
the mod_perl route. They instead use a different solution whose cost is
lower. The second system isn't neccessarily inferior, it is simply the
best system the client could afford.
In light of the above, there is nothing you can do to relieve a shortage
that doesn't exist. What you can do is lower the price of mod_perl
skills by making them more widespread. This will allow more people to
use mod_perl, and I think all of the people on this list would approve
of that. I personally approve of anything which helps the worldwide
flow of information.
Now unfortunately a lot of people don't share our views on money. They
want to maximize the monetary value of their mod_perl knowledge, which
is all well and good as far as I care. The problem for these folks is
that the more widespread basic mod_perl skills become, the harder it
will be to charge extortionary prices for performing the simplest
mod_perl tricks. In effect the price that mod_perl programmers can
demand will become stratified: those with the most skills will still be
very highly valued, but those with modest skills will see their wages
decline.
> Now the question is: if this is truth and you feel the same way, how do we
> make the world know that there is a great demand for mod_perl programmers
> and that people should learn mod_perl and not the stright-forward choice
> like VB, ASP or other technology that drives the web?
Most people are lazy. Since it is easier to get started with
VB/ASP/Crapomatic-9000, most people are going to start there. The
people with real initiative and drive will always find their way over to
mod_perl or other advanced solutions. The only way to make more people
use mod_perl is to make mod_perl easier for the lazy people. I think
dougm's book and your upcoming book will do a lot to make mod_perl more
accessible.
-jwb
--
Jeffrey W. Baker * [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Critical Path, Inc. * we handle the world's email * www.cp.net
415.808.8807
