http://qs321.pair.com?node_id=87462


in reply to How to get the most of your question from the monks

Seems relevant to a monastery.. would this or something like it be useful? I hope it doesn't come across as condescending or batty.. honored if you can use part of this, help please. Funny, search.cpan.org was down when I checked just now.

Research (or how to think like a Monk)

There are a few (at least!) other places on the Net to look besides the Monastery. We love to help people learn and use Perl, but we love to do so even more when you give a shot at helping yourself first. What's more, the search for knowledge is an heroic quest. Perhaps the quest will be more important for you than that nugget of information for which you originally sought. If you do find wisdom in your quest, bring it back to us for everyone to share!

Well, where to start? A good place is the Library. This probably has the answers to most questions that will come up since we keep adding to it. Another place to check out is perl.com. This site has lots of interesting documentation, even if it isn't organized quite as beautifully as in our Library.

If you are thinking about algorithms and modules, have you delved into the CPAN? You can search for tons of modules built by the Perl community, save yourself from reinventing the wheel, and generally learn the trade.

You may also want to visit the home sites of various open source projects such as the high performance mod_perl integration project for the Apache Web Server.

There are lots of other sites, and one good way to find information from around the world is Google. It is good for finding out not only what you need to know, but also what you didn't know you needed to know.. Besides sheer hours of experience, Monks read with breadth and depth.

So please bring us all your questions, and try to use these resources. The monks are hoping to learn from you as well, you see. Your participation and reflection makes everyone in the community the richer for it.

Update: Well I just got my first negative vote! I guess this is over the top huh? Maybe I'm not "thinking like a Monk" yet, sorry.