A Language for Getting Your Job Done

by @dankogai

This talk is Not Quite…

…about this job

The Book of Job ( /ˈdʒoʊb/; Hebrew: אִיוֹב‎ ʾ iyobh), commonly referred to simply as Job, is one of the books of the Hebrew Bible. It relates the story of Job, his trials at the hands of Satan, his discussions with friends on the origins and nature of his suffering, his challenge to God, and finally a response from God. The book is a didactic poem set in a prose frame. The over-riding and oft-asked question asked in the book of Job is, "Why do the righteous suffer?"

…or this

-- unless you are happy with $1/yr.

Not about getting a job…

This talk is…

…about getting the job done.

But what is a job?

But what is a job?

A job is a regular activity performed in exchange for payment.

But what is a job?

A job is a regular activity performed in exchange for payment.

"Job" sounds like something…

• You got to do it.
• You hate to do it.

"Job" sounds like something…

• You got to do it.
• You hate to do it.

…like taking the trash out…

I've taken the trash out innumerable times,
I've taken the trash out in inclement climes,
I've taken the trash out 'cuz that's what I do,
But I *won't* take the trash out when you tell me to.

…like this

I -- we -- paid for that.

• But are we supposed to be paid?
• An irregular activity performed in exchange for payment.

The Book of Job?

Paid vs Free

Paid vs Free

• If the job is about getting paid,
• why do we give so much for free?

Frankly, I didn't know it.

-- The question kept biting me.

Kyoto, 2000

• Linux Conference 2000 Fall
• Eric and I talked about it over the dinner
• "You can get paid for support"
• I was hardly convinced
  • Not that I paid for the dinner :-)

What the market had to say

Goodbye, .com bubble

The Book of Jobs?

Examples

• Our open-source software runs these companies
• Many others like the rest of our sponsors
• are they open-source?

Can you open-source, say, Google?

• Or Amazon or any "big data" companies you name it?
• Or even Apple? Every Mac comes with Perl!
• Peter Norvig: We don't have better algorithms. We just have more data..

Free code + free data =

• Raymond: given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow
• How many eyeballs does it take to beat googlebot?
• O'reilly: Data is the next Intel Inside

Connecting the dots

• so you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future

dots = our open-source software

• Characters
• Words
• CPAN Modules

Language = the connector

• English
• 日本語
• Perl
• …

The job done = The dots connected

Don't be afraid to give away dots.

You will be paid to connect them.

$_->answer for @questions;