


PERLCOMMUNITY(1) Perl Programmers Reference GuidePERLCOMMUNITY(1)


NAME
       perlcommunity - a brief overview of the Perl community

DESCRIPTION
       This document aims to provide an overview of the vast perl
       community, which is far too large and diverse to provide a
       detailed listing. If any specific niche has been
       forgotten, it is not meant as an insult but an omission
       for the sake of brevity.

       The Perl community is as diverse as Perl, and there is a
       large amount of evidence that the Perl users apply
       TMTOWTDI to all endeavors, not just programming. From
       websites, to IRC, to mailing lists, there is more than one
       way to get involved in the community.

   Where to find the community
       There is a central directory for the Perl community:
       <http://perl.org> maintained by the Perl Foundation
       (<http://www.perlfoundation.org/>), which tracks and
       provides services for a variety of other community sites.

   Mailing lists and Newsgroups
       Perl runs on e-mail, there is no doubt about it. The Camel
       book was originally written mostly over e-mail and today
       Perl's development is co-ordinated through mailing lists.
       The largest repository of Perl mailing lists is located at
       <http://lists.perl.org>.

       Most Perl-related projects set up mailing lists for both
       users and contributors. If you don't see a certain project
       listed at <http://lists.perl.org>, check the particular
       website for that project.  Most mailing lists are archived
       at <http://nntp.perl.org/>.

       There are also plenty of Perl related newsgroups located
       under "comp.lang.perl.*".

   IRC
       The Perl community has a rather large IRC presence. For
       starters, it has its own IRC network,
       <irc://irc.perl.org>. General (not help-oriented) chat can
       be found at <irc://irc.perl.org/#perl>. Many other more
       specific chats are also hosted on the network. Information
       about irc.perl.org is located on the network's website:
       <http://www.irc.perl.org>. For a more help oriented #perl,
       check out <irc://irc.freenode.net/#perl>. Perl 6
       development also has a presence in
       <irc://irc.freenode.net/#perl6>. Most Perl-related
       channels will be kind enough to point you in the right
       direction if you ask nicely.

       Any large IRC network (Dalnet, EFnet) is also likely to
       have a #perl channel, with varying activity levels.



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   Websites
       Perl websites come in a variety of forms, but they fit
       into two large categories: forums and news websites. There
       are many Perl related websites, so only a few of the
       community's largest are mentioned here.

       News sites

       <http://perl.com/>
           Run by O'Reilly Media (The publisher of the Camel Book
           among other Perl-related literature), perl.com
           provides current Perl news, articles, and resources
           for Perl developers as well as a directory of other
           useful websites.

       <http://use.perl.org/>
           use Perl; provides a slashdot-style Perl news website
           covering all things Perl, from minutes of the meetings
           of the Perl 6 Design team to conference announcements
           with (ir)relevant discussion.

       Forums

       <http://www.perlmonks.org/>
           PerlMonks is one of the largest Perl forums, and
           describes itself as "A place for individuals to
           polish, improve, and showcase their Perl skills." and
           "A community which allows everyone to grow and learn
           from each other."

   User Groups
       Many cities around the world have local Perl Mongers
       chapters. A Perl Mongers chapter is a local user group
       which typically holds regular in-person meetings, both
       social and technical; helps organize local conferences,
       workshops, and hackathons; and provides a mailing list or
       other continual contact method for its members to keep in
       touch.

       To find your local Perl Mongers (or PM as they're commonly
       abbreviated) group check the international Perl Mongers
       directory at <http://www.pm.org/>.

   Workshops
       Perl workshops are, as the name might suggest, workshops
       where Perl is taught in a variety of ways. At the
       workshops, subjects range from a beginner's introduction
       (such as the Pittsburgh Perl Workshop's "Zero To Perl") to
       much more advanced subjects.

       There are several great resources for locating workshops:
       the websites mentioned above, the calendar mentioned
       below, and the YAPC Europe website,
       <http://www.yapceurope.org/>, which is probably the best



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       resource for European Perl events.

   Hackathons
       Hackathons are a very different kind of gathering where
       Perl hackers gather to do just that, hack nonstop for an
       extended (several day) period on a specific project or
       projects. Information about hackathons can be located in
       the same place as information about workshops as well as
       in <irc://irc.perl.org/#perl>.

       If you have never been to a hackathon, here are a few
       basic things you need to know before attending: have a
       working laptop and know how to use it; check out the
       involved projects before hand; have the necessary version
       control client; and bring backup equipment (an extra LAN
       cable, additional power strips, etc.)  because someone
       will forget.

   Conventions
       Perl has two major annual conventions: The Perl Conference
       (now part of OSCON), put on by O'Reilly, and Yet Another
       Perl Conference or YAPC (pronounced yap-see), which is
       localized into several regional YAPCs (North America,
       Europe, Asia) in a stunning grassroots display by the Perl
       community. For more information about either conference,
       check out their respective web pages: OSCON
       <http://conferences.oreillynet.com/>; YAPC
       <http://www.yapc.org>.

       A relatively new conference franchise with a large Perl
       portion is the Open Source Developers Conference or OSDC.
       First held in Australia it has recently also spread to
       Israel. More information can be found at:
       <http://www.osdc.com.au/> for Australia, and
       <http://www.osdc.org.il> for Israel.

   Calendar of Perl Events
       The Perl Review, <http://www.theperlreview.com> maintains
       a website and Google calendar
       (<http://www.theperlreview.com/community_calendar>) for
       tracking workshops, hackathons, Perl Mongers meetings, and
       other events. Views of this calendar are at
       <http://www.perl.org/events.html> and
       <http://www.yapc.org>.

       Not every event or Perl Mongers group is on that calendar,
       so don't lose heart if you don't see yours posted. To have
       your event or group listed, contact brian d foy
       (brian@theperlreview.com).

AUTHOR
       Edgar "Trizor" Bering <trizor@gmail.com>





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