Movin' them doggies on the Cattle Drive

It's where you come to learn Java, and just like the cattle drivers of the old west, you're expected to pull your weight along the way.

The Cattle Drive forum is where the drivers get together to complain, uh rather, discuss their assignments and encourage each other. Thanks to the enthusiastic initiative of Johannes de Jong, you can keep track of your progress on the drive with the Assignment Log. If you're tough enough to get through the nitpicking, you'll start collecting moose heads at the Cattle Drive Hall of Fame.

For those of you who are tucked safely in the warmth and comfort of your homes during this holiday season, spare a thought for those rugged souls out on the cattle drive.

Picture a cold, clear night with the Milky Way splashed across a midnight blue backdrop, the gentle rustling of the cattle as they bed down for the night making a comforting sound. Crouching cowboy style beside the laptop, contemplating the past month on the drive........

Fresh rider on the Drive...
Want to give a hearty welcome to newcomer John Cooper. He's our newest greenhorn, and he's workin' on his second assignment.

Then there's Kate Head, who has been on the drive for a while, but keepin' a low profile. She's just signed on to the assignment log after baggin' her first moose. She's currently workin' on OOP-2, and I believe she's findin' it a bit slippery!

Another moose on the wall for...
You may have noticed a bit of fancy rope work by Greg Neef. Yup, he passed Servlets 4b on the first try, which is a first in itself. Mighty fancy ropin', cowboy, even if you only have 1 "G" in your name! Tough act to follow!

Other than that, it's been mostly a quiet month on the drive. We're down to 10 active drivers, but I'm sure that'll change right quick, as soon as certain drivers who shall remain anonymous realize that they are not just in the red, but on the inactive list! (You out there, Pauline?) Then the trail will be as noisy and dusty as usual.

Nitpicking is hard work too...
We know they're workin' reeeeeally hard, after all, we've seen what those assignments look like once the nitpickers have combed through 'em. Hats off to Marilyn deQueiroz, Pauline McNamara, and Jason Adam for their dedication and patience with the pesky vermin that always manage to make their way into those assignments.

Joinin' the Drive
You think ya got what it takes? You ready for some work and some good learnin'? Then pull up a stool and read up on Joinin' the Drive. Good luck!

As we drive on into 2004, I'd like to leave you all with this Holiday wish:

     May your code always compile on the first try,
     And your programs run exactly as expected.
See ya out on the trail!

Cattle Drive update by Carol Murphy