Houman Dunnil wrote:
> Hello folks,
> 
> Sorry for this *too off topic* email, but I think you can help me as I
> believe you folks in the Ruby community are the smartest geeks I've
> ever seen.
> 
> I'm planing to immigrate to Australia or Canada, but am not sure which
> one is a better place for a hacker (As Paul Graham calls us).
> 
> What I'd like to know is, which country can help me to be a better
> programmer? user groups, seminars, availability of resources and
> things like these...
> 
> Thank you all in advance and sorry again for OT message,
> - Houman Dunnil
> 
> 

Well ...

1. If you don't mind my asking, where do you live now and what's wrong
with it specific to being a hacker?

2. I suppose things have changed since then, but back in the mid 1980s I
worked for a company that had a couple of offices in Canada. Their two
sales/support analysts both quit in a six month period, and I filled in
for a couple of years, commuting up from Maryland when necessary. At one
point the subject of me transferring up there permanently was raised.

It turns out that Canada is very protective of their native talent. I
could fill in on a temporary basis, of course, but they had to advertise
the position for a full year and interview every Canadian citizen that
met the qualifications of the position. Only if they couldn't fill the
position with a Canadian citizen within a year would I have been able to
 become a permanent resident.

I know there are Canadians on the list who migrated there from the USA
-- is it still that way, or have things changed?

3. I've never been to Australia so I don't know what the situation is there.