use Perl

• cat herder may be available (Score:2)

  by jmm (276)

  As long as the recent proposal for TPF to fund Richard Dice for 6 months is approved, the cat herder post is already covered.  That would make this an auspicious time to provide funds for numerous small projects.  (Of course, I'm just assuming that Richard will want to have his time be volunteered in this fashion - you'd of course have to discuss it with him.)
  • Re: (Score:2)

    by autarch (914)

    If the numerous small project approach is to succeed, it needs to work because the recipients are self-motivated. I completed my grant without anyone nagging me or setting deadlines, and that should be the rule.

    If people don't do the work they promise, they shouldn't get the money. Hopefully the money + getting shit done is a sufficient carrot.
    • Re:cat herder may be available (Score:2)

      by nicholas (3034) <nwc10+useperl@colon.colondot.net> on 2009.05.22 10:51 (#68737) Homepage Journal

      I agree with everything you say. However, I'd like to add that to succeed it also needs numerous applications. This Q2, there are only 4 proposals total [perlfoundation.org], and several feel rather weak. This is in marked contrast to 12 months ago, where in Q2 2008 there were 17 [perlfoundation.org], many of which were stronger than any of the current 4. It surprises me that there are fewer applications now, with the global economy supposedly weaker. I would have expected more.

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      • Re: (Score:1)

        by chorny (7137)

        I suppose this is because of date mismatch. "Submit a grant proposal by May 31" [perlfoundation.org].
        • Re: (Score:2)

          by nicholas (3034)

          Good point. However, there were "only" 13 in Q1 2009 [perlfoundation.org], so numbers were down even then. Then again, I'm no stats wizz, but I suspect that the number of data points is too small to really spot trends through the noise.