[zenobia]

I like the approach this piece takes, as it avoids the usual 'learn $foo_language 'cos it's hot!' approach. I hire people who genuinely love their chosen work and who love open source, and who really understand how it works. A good coder can learn any language-- I look for people who understand that any programming language is just a tool, a means to an end. They need to think and reason well, be resourceful, know how to learn, and be dependable. Most of all I look for people who place the end user first, which is something I wish the article had touched on. I also like that it mentions the myriad other disciplines that are part of any software project.