From: Kenneth McDonald <kenneth.m.mcdonald@...>
Date: 2007-07-28T12:22:05+09:00
Subject: Re: [Very OT] Australia or Canada, which one is the best country for a geek?!?

It'll depend completely on the city and surrounding area. Canada is much 
closer to the high-tech stuff in the US. But of course, if you can speak 
the appropriate language(s), Australia is much closer to the high-tech 
stuff in Asia.

As has been mentioned, there's a big (in Canadian terms) concentration 
of high-tech around Ottawa. However, the real center of Canadian 
cultural and commercial activity is Toronto (no, I'm not a Torontonian, 
it's just the truth). If the high Quebec taxes are not a deterrent, I'd 
suggest that Montreal is probably the optimal combination of high-tech 
opportunity, cultural amenities, and general quality of life. Other 
things being equal, it's probably where I'd go were I to move back to 
Canada, Toronto would be a close second.

Vancouver is supposed to be a very lovely city; it isn't. I've lived 
there, and architecturally Vancouver is somewhere between bland nouveau 
West Coast and drop-dead graveled-yard ugly. The _surroundings_ are 
beautiful, but even then, be prepared for very damp, gray, depressing 
winters--if sunshine is important to you, don't move to Vancouver.

Canada's general social attitudes are much more European than American 
(and the general Canadian attitude towards many current US policies is 
probably best described as somewhere between amusement and disgust), so 
if you're a strong libertarian-type hacker, you may not like that aspect 
of Canada. (Personally, I like it quite a bit.)

Australia will be warmer. _Much_ warmer. And sunnier.


Hope this helps,
Ken

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
>
>