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Perl Gem

Schilli's Perl column is spectacularly good and one of the highlights that I look forward to in the magazine. I just wanted to chime-in with my opinion. Thanks!

Tor Perkins

LM

Thanks for your thoughts. We agree with you 100%. Mike Schilli – our indomitable Perlmeister – is as good as it gets. The creativity and energy that Mike brings to his column each month are truly refreshing.

More How Technical

This email is concerning the letter titled "How Technical?" written by Mr. Michael L. Flynn, on page 18 of the October 2009 issue (no. 107).

I have read this article, and I have come to the conclusion the Michael is not only 100% correct but is 150% correct. I found myself identifying with his comments.

In my experience, beginner guides beat around the bush with no complete and concise explanation. Let me say that I am quite technical, and I keep using Microsoft because it is consistently all GUI and it always works.

I have been trying to set up a Linux mail server for 2 years, and even with the SLAMPP portable server DVD with Issue 107, I cannot grasp where the SMTP, POP, and GUI are to configure the server in less than 20 minutes, which is what I need using Windows Enterprise 2003 with the Kerio mail server.

Please do not try to take this letter as a defense of Microsoft, because that is not the case.

Newcomers should be treated well so they can be enlisted into the battle to stop the Microsoft monopoly, but this does not happen because there seems to be an elite with hidden knowledge of basic Linux functionality.

Over the past 8 years, there has been a great increase of Linux enterprise services charging by the hour to companies, so I assume there are people protecting the knowledge since the "raw material" (Linux) is "free" but implementations need labor.

I cannot see how Linux will ever take over home desktops this way.

Richard Benfatto