Monday Mystery: Poetry Showing up on my Surveys.

Yesterday I was pondering whether I should go to Lang.NET 2009 and unable to make a decision, I ran an online poll and asked people to vote on twitter:

In my survey I listed the pros and cons to give people a feeling of what I was up against.

The first couple of votes were not very helpful, I got 2 votes, one said yes, one said no.

Then another twenty or so votes came and the balance started to shift towards "go". Here is the final result:

And then something very strange happened, the comment section for the online poll started getting people's opinion in the form of poems or Haikus.

I copy pasted some of the poems below:

In my heart you will always be now in heaven i cant wait again to see

When I decided not to roam
I just stayed home
Got a lot done
Enjoyed some time in the sun

---

Listen to good talks with your friends
Before all the fun ends!

Catch up and learn about Google's V8
--Maybe you'll even get a date!

You should go because it will be a blast
Life is short, so make it last!

---

a haiku for miguel:

Improve your cv
Boston is lovely right now
Drink with nerdy folks

---

I can’t make up my mind.
I really am in a bind.
I can go to Lang dot net,
And my day will be set.
Or stay at home and work,
Like a common store clerk.
This choice will be easy.
Lang is where I will be.

Should I stay,
or should I go?
For every con,
there is a pro.

I could see old friends,
and make some new.
Or stay at home,
and get work done too.

I could learn about Second Life,
and Google's V-8.
And actually accruing miles
would really be great.

It would take a whole week.
And delay my work,
But learning something new
Is definitely a perk.

A programmer I am,
and a programmer I will be.
I think this great poem
made my mind up for me.

---

New friends
Old friends
Learning new things
And when you get back to Boston
You can have some baked beans

---

destroyer of days seven
bringer of travel expenses
Lang.NET

provider of lectures
connector of colleagues
Lang.NET

delayer of projects
impeder of family time
Lang.NET

programmer of dynamic C#
granter of Second Life
Lang.NET

Why go across the country to have a v8?
Because that's what .NET is 4.
Lang.NET

---

Kill time
or make new friends?
Lose a little time from work
or catch up with those you've fallen out of touch with?
Work can always wait Miguel
opportunity cannnot.

---

Another dollar for yet another day,
That is what they all used to say.
For Lang.NET 2009 I pine away
The cost to do it makes me say “Hey!”
Give me Second Life with which to play
If only I could go to the conference that way
I’d program it if C was their programming thang’

---

Let me help Miguel on what to do.
He's undecided...can't decide between the two.
If he goes to Lang. NET, work at home will pile high.
If he stays home to work, perhaps he'd cry.
He'd miss the chance to learn Second Life,
Or make new friends, maybe even find a wife!

So it costs a few bucks to get to there.
He'd blow it on something else other than air fare!
Make the reservations today and don't delay.
You'll have a good time....that's what I say!

---

Divided I stand
The opportunity to advance ahead
A week of talks and new friends await me
On my way to Lang.NET 2009.

One week gone,
Trekking across the country.
Putting all tasks aside,
I delay work
On my way to Lang.NET 2009.

In the end,
The journey made
Is better than the journey dreamed.

---

Oh the choice, to go or to stay
that is Miguel's question of the day!

Should he go, he would have a great time
Should he stay...he might save a dime!

Going he will learn about new things out there
Staying he might...get more work done fair.

The choice looks easy to someone like me
but then again I'm not Miguel....I'm Susie

---

Once when Miguel was feeling weak,
A conference looked to kill his week.
But opportunity there it seemed was rife:
A chance to master Second Life!

---

Miguel's Dilemma
Should I stay or should I go
The trip could be for not
But my gut says I should go
Money,work,time and home
Oh, well bye bye I go.....

---

knowledge is calling me to fill him up
my friends are quite expecting
there are also some guys I don't know that i have to spy on

who cares about work!
who cares if I hitchhike to Lang.Net!

home will always wait
across the country I will enlighten myself

---

To Lang.NET or not to Lang.NET ... that is the question.
Whether 'tis nobler to learn about great stuff
Like Second Life and dynamic C#,
Or consider it the death of
An entire week away from home,
Thereby missing out on the catching up with old friends.
What value, then, shall be given
This knowledge and friendship?
Is it greater than the cost of transport and per diem?
Only Miguel can truly tell.

---

Lang.NET
Lang.NET
Oh this decision should not make you fret

Think about the things that are great
Second Life! .NET 4 and Google V8!

These things are worth the week away
your delay in work, and your hit in pay

Think about the old friends you'll greet
And all the new ones that you will meet

The knowledge base you'll gain and learn
will help you back help you back home and what you earn

Lang.NET
Lang.NET
Looks like going is really your best bet.

---

Haiku:

While traveling sucks
Experience should be worthwhile
Go enjoy Lang.NET

---

There are times we can't resist
Pondering the things we've missed.
We vow, "Next time I won't be slow.
I'll just pick up myself and go.".
And when we're back, our money spent,
We often think, "I'm glad I went".

---

Lang.Net
Not a bad gig to get
Sure it's a road trip
And a work skip
A budget breaker
But 'cmon,
Ain't it grand to be a taker?

---

Lang.Net
Not a bad gig to get
Sure it's a road trip
And a work skip
A budget breaker
But 'cmon,
Ain't it grand to be a taker?

---

Miguel should fly cross country,
And not worry about the money.
The trip will be great,
You must learn about Google V8.

Leaving home for a week,
Does sound rather bleak,
But you'll chat with old pals,
And may meet some gals.

---

There is much to learn,
but conferences return.
If you stick to your guns,
keep your money in your pocket,

you'll have more in store
when next year rolls around.
So stand on solid ground!,
and in 2010 launch rocket.

Not quite sure why I got so many replies in the form of poems, and Google surveys do not track the IP address of the submissions, so I have no idea if these were all submitted by the same person or not.

Need to get to the bottom of this mystery.