April 2012 News

Last year we at Shadowcat decided that our CTO should have a Beermat for a business card. This was an easy choice, he is famous for his liking of a cheeky ale at the end of a hard day and for sharing his views on all things Perl with anyone who has an ear free to listen with.

The design that was eventually used had his gracious visage with some simple plays on words regarding his name, the liking of said ales and the device the medium being used as promotion. This design served him well and there are several hundred of these in circulation.

This has, therefore, started something of a tradition or possibly an old charter, or maybe even a by-law, in which we feel compelled to continue the practice of using a beermat as a business card.

However, we at Shadowcat Castle do not like the idea of using the same design year after year in some tired treading of a road already traveled. It is with that in mind that I present the 2012 Matt S. Trout Beermat. A limited edition object that will grace the space between beverage receptacle and surface rested upon.

Even the incautious reader with a weary eye cannot fail to notice that this year's design bursts with colour and depicts an amusing, and if one is truthful, stunningly accurate caricature of our fearless technical leader. So, if you happen across him in the coming months be sure to pick up a mat or two from this year's bunch before they are all gone.

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Today it is Shadowcat Systems' 7th birthday. We were officially incorporated as a UK company on the 10th April 2005.

The last seven years have been a fun ride with Shadowcat as we have tried to forge a different way of doing business. We like to think of ourselves as an Enlightened Consultancy. We aren't too interested in coming in, offering tons of advice and then leaving with a large paycheck. We are more interested in getting companies to work positively with the communities and languages they choose to utilise in business.

We also don't believe that it is all about the code. it is important to have good code, good docs and a great business model, but if you don't invest in the people and their desires and the communities they immerse themselves in you are behind the curve in any modern regards. At least this is how we see it

It is, therefore, a great privilege to be working in, and with, the Perl community. To be active members of the community as project leads, organisers, managers and sponsors. We love to visit conferences and host events at our offices. We enjoy making resources available and are always glad to hear feedback and involve people in making those resources better. Not least we adore the people we meet and work with both commercially and socially in and around our business and community.

We are looking forward to a great 12 months and our eighth year of trading*

*It should be noted that although Shadowcat has had seven years, Matt and Mark have been working on projects together for closer to nine.

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It is my pleasure to announce that Shadowcat Systems will once again sponsor the Yet Another Perl Conference North America, to be held in Madison, Wisconsin, from the 13th to the 15th June 2012. Shadowcat Systems joins an impressive list of fellow sponsors for this year's event.

We at Shadowcat love to give something to the community, either in time, code or general help, but it is an extra special pleasure when circumstances allow us to offer financial support and be part of a community of companies that does the same.

Shadowcat Systems will also be sending some key staff to the event, confirmed at this time is Technical CTO Matt S. Trout and he may be joined by Managing Director, Mark Keating, who has been absent from a North American YAPC since 2009.

We will give more details in due course. Look forward to seeing you there.

YAPC::NA Homepage

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