note strict/lax version requirements in documentation
[p5sagit/p5-mst-13.2.git] / pod / perlcommunity.pod
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cbd87e7e 1=head1 NAME
2
3perlcommunity - a brief overview of the Perl community
4
5=head1 DESCRIPTION
6
7This document aims to provide an overview of the vast perl community, which is
8far too large and diverse to provide a detailed listing. If any specific niche
9has been forgotten, it is not meant as an insult but an omission for the sake
10of brevity.
11
12The Perl community is as diverse as Perl, and there is a large amount of
13evidence that the Perl users apply TMTOWTDI to all endeavors, not just
14programming. From websites, to IRC, to mailing lists, there is more than one
15way to get involved in the community.
16
17=head2 Where to find the community
18
19There is a central directory for the Perl community: L<http://perl.org>
20maintained by the Perl Foundation (L<http://www.perlfoundation.org/>),
21which tracks and provides services for a variety of other community sites.
22
23=head2 Mailing lists and Newsgroups
24
25Perl runs on e-mail, there is no doubt about it. The Camel book was originally
26written mostly over e-mail and today Perl's development is co-ordinated through
27mailing lists. The largest repository of Perl mailing lists is located at
28L<http://lists.perl.org>.
29
30Most Perl-related projects set up mailing lists for both users and
31contributors. If you don't see a certain project listed at
32L<http://lists.perl.org>, check the particular website for that project.
33Most mailing lists are archived at L<http://nntp.perl.org/>.
34
35There are also plenty of Perl related newsgroups located under
36C<comp.lang.perl.*>.
37
38=head2 IRC
39
40The Perl community has a rather large IRC presence. For starters, it has its
41own IRC network, L<irc://irc.perl.org>. General (not help-oriented) chat can be
42found at L<irc://irc.perl.org/#perl>. Many other more specific chats are also
43hosted on the network. Information about irc.perl.org is located on the
44network's website: L<http://www.irc.perl.org>. For a more help oriented #perl,
241e7389 45check out L<irc://irc.freenode.net/#perl>. Perl 6 development also has a
cbd87e7e 46presence in L<irc://irc.freenode.net/#perl6>. Most Perl-related channels will
47be kind enough to point you in the right direction if you ask nicely.
48
49Any large IRC network (Dalnet, EFnet) is also likely to have a #perl channel,
50with varying activity levels.
51
52=head2 Websites
53
54Perl websites come in a variety of forms, but they fit into two large
55categories: forums and news websites. There are many Perl related
56websites, so only a few of the community's largest are mentioned here.
57
58=head3 News sites
59
60=over 4
61
62=item L<http://perl.com/>
63
64Run by O'Reilly Media (The publisher of L<the Camel Book|perlbook> among other
65Perl-related literature), perl.com provides current Perl news, articles, and
66resources for Perl developers as well as a directory of other useful websites.
67
68=item L<http://use.perl.org/>
69
70use Perl; provides a slashdot-style Perl news website covering all things Perl,
241e7389 71from minutes of the meetings of the Perl 6 Design team to conference
cbd87e7e 72announcements with (ir)relevant discussion.
73
74=back
75
76=head3 Forums
77
78=over 4
79
80=item L<http://www.perlmonks.org/>
81
82PerlMonks is one of the largest Perl forums, and describes itself as "A place
83for individuals to polish, improve, and showcase their Perl skills." and "A
84community which allows everyone to grow and learn from each other."
85
86=back
87
88=head2 User Groups
89
10a3d64e 90Many cities around the world have local Perl Mongers chapters. A Perl Mongers
cbd87e7e 91chapter is a local user group which typically holds regular in-person meetings,
92both social and technical; helps organize local conferences, workshops, and
93hackathons; and provides a mailing list or other continual contact method for
94its members to keep in touch.
95
10a3d64e 96To find your local Perl Mongers (or PM as they're commonly abbreviated) group
97check the international Perl Mongers directory at L<http://www.pm.org/>.
cbd87e7e 98
99=head2 Workshops
100
101Perl workshops are, as the name might suggest, workshops where Perl is taught
102in a variety of ways. At the workshops, subjects range from a beginner's
103introduction (such as the Pittsburgh Perl Workshop's "Zero To Perl") to much
104more advanced subjects.
105
106There are several great resources for locating workshops: the
107L<websites|"Websites"> mentioned above, the
108L<calendar|"Calendar of Perl Events"> mentioned below, and the YAPC Europe
109website, L<http://www.yapceurope.org/>, which is probably the best resource for
110European Perl events.
111
112=head2 Hackathons
113
114Hackathons are a very different kind of gathering where Perl hackers gather to
115do just that, hack nonstop for an extended (several day) period on a specific
116project or projects. Information about hackathons can be located in the same
117place as information about L<workshops|"Workshops"> as well as in
118L<irc://irc.perl.org/#perl>.
119
120If you have never been to a hackathon, here are a few basic things you need to
121know before attending: have a working laptop and know how to use it; check out
122the involved projects before hand; have the necessary version control client;
123and bring backup equipment (an extra LAN cable, additional power strips, etc.)
124because someone will forget.
125
126=head2 Conventions
127
128Perl has two major annual conventions: The Perl Conference (now part of OSCON),
129put on by O'Reilly, and Yet Another Perl Conference or YAPC (pronounced
130yap-see), which is localized into several regional YAPCs (North America,
131Europe, Asia) in a stunning grassroots display by the Perl community. For more
132information about either conference, check out their respective web pages:
133OSCON L<http://conferences.oreillynet.com/>; YAPC L<http://www.yapc.org>.
134
80983d21 135A relatively new conference franchise with a large Perl portion is the
cbd87e7e 136Open Source Developers Conference or OSDC. First held in Australia it has
4ff31b78 137recently also spread to Israel and France. More information can be found at:
138L<http://www.osdc.com.au/> for Australia, L<http://www.osdc.org.il>
139for Israel, and L<http://www.osdc.fr/> for France.
cbd87e7e 140
141=head2 Calendar of Perl Events
142
10a3d64e 143The Perl Review, L<http://www.theperlreview.com> maintains a website
144and Google calendar
145(L<http://www.theperlreview.com/community_calendar>) for tracking
146workshops, hackathons, Perl Mongers meetings, and other events. Views
147of this calendar are at L<http://www.perl.org/events.html> and
148L<http://www.yapc.org>.
149
150Not every event or Perl Mongers group is on that calendar, so don't lose
151heart if you don't see yours posted. To have your event or group listed,
152contact brian d foy (brian@theperlreview.com).
cbd87e7e 153
154=head1 AUTHOR
155
156Edgar "Trizor" Bering <trizor@gmail.com>
157
158=cut