Comments on: Perl far from dead, more popular than you think http://royal.pingdom.com/2009/11/06/perl-far-from-dead-more-popular-than-you-think/ Ramblings and tech news from the Pingdom team Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:34:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Raul http://royal.pingdom.com/2009/11/06/perl-far-from-dead-more-popular-than-you-think/comment-page-1/#comment-385621 Raul Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:52:54 +0000 http://royal.pingdom.com/?p=4589#comment-385621 We should first understand that Perl is not just used for webapps. So just looking for website created in Perl doesn't give the complete usage statistics. As Mike mentioned above, it is used by various sys admins. And not to mention geeks who write small programs here and there to get tasks completed. Now, you can also do it with Python, Ruby or other things. But that's your choice. Many a times, I feel that it's easier to learn all of Python, Perl and PHP than wasting time and energy on thinking which one's better. A real programmer is never bound by a specific programming language anyway. We should first understand that Perl is not just used for webapps. So just looking for website created in Perl doesn’t give the complete usage statistics. As Mike mentioned above, it is used by various sys admins.

And not to mention geeks who write small programs here and there to get tasks completed. Now, you can also do it with Python, Ruby or other things. But that’s your choice.

Many a times, I feel that it’s easier to learn all of Python, Perl and PHP than wasting time and energy on thinking which one’s better. A real programmer is never bound by a specific programming language anyway.

]]> By: Bob Dobbs http://royal.pingdom.com/2009/11/06/perl-far-from-dead-more-popular-than-you-think/comment-page-1/#comment-376585 Bob Dobbs Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:29:44 +0000 http://royal.pingdom.com/?p=4589#comment-376585 Perl is dead. http://isperldeadyet.com Perl is dead. http://isperldeadyet.com

]]> By: Mike http://royal.pingdom.com/2009/11/06/perl-far-from-dead-more-popular-than-you-think/comment-page-1/#comment-376454 Mike Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:50:04 +0000 http://royal.pingdom.com/?p=4589#comment-376454 I use perl exclusively as system admin for a dental group with over 300 offices all over the US. I use it by choice, could use others but just like perl. I use perl exclusively as system admin for a dental group with over 300 offices all over the US. I use it by choice, could use others but just like perl.

]]> By: Andrei http://royal.pingdom.com/2009/11/06/perl-far-from-dead-more-popular-than-you-think/comment-page-1/#comment-376418 Andrei Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:18:34 +0000 http://royal.pingdom.com/?p=4589#comment-376418 People who say Perl is not dead are in denial. Perl is being relegated to its roots - a sys admin glue language. Having done Perl for most of my career, I am not fooling myself about the fact that knowing only Perl *significantly* reduces the number of cool jobs I can apply to. My current shop, as well as any other shop I have encountered in the last coupe of years, is aggressively trying to dump the "legacy" Perl codebase. Just mentioning a handful of sites is really not enough to make it a popular language. Almost no new major sites (or just any sites) use Perl as their backbone. Deal with it. Technology is moving quickly - learn something new or risk becoming a legacy developer, together with your language. Maybe you love Perl. Fine. Good for you, but just face the reality, or you will not be a marketable software developer in the next decade. Search Dice for "Perl" and find any job that does not require it as a nice to have or a "side" skill. Your options will be extremely limited. And it will only get worse. People who say Perl is not dead are in denial. Perl is being relegated to its roots – a sys admin glue language.

Having done Perl for most of my career, I am not fooling myself about the fact that knowing only Perl *significantly* reduces the number of cool jobs I can apply to.

My current shop, as well as any other shop I have encountered in the last coupe of years, is aggressively trying to dump the “legacy” Perl codebase.

Just mentioning a handful of sites is really not enough to make it a popular language. Almost no new major sites (or just any sites) use Perl as their backbone. Deal with it.

Technology is moving quickly – learn something new or risk becoming a legacy developer, together with your language.

Maybe you love Perl. Fine. Good for you, but just face the reality, or you will not be a marketable software developer in the next decade.

Search Dice for “Perl” and find any job that does not require it as a nice to have or a “side” skill. Your options will be extremely limited. And it will only get worse.

]]> By: ferrisoxide http://royal.pingdom.com/2009/11/06/perl-far-from-dead-more-popular-than-you-think/comment-page-1/#comment-376417 ferrisoxide Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:43:48 +0000 http://royal.pingdom.com/?p=4589#comment-376417 Hey.. Perl runs the "third fastest growing social network in the US" and is behind the "3rd largest local search site in Canada".. wow.. that's a lot of thirds.. I wonder what runs 1st and 2nd :) Seriously, Perl is dead? Meh.. not as long as there are people who love it. There's always going to be more of you than Haskell programmers any day. Personally I can't stand the language.. but I'll fight for your right to code in Perl any day.. and as a Ruby fan I'll readily acknowledge the giants' shoulders we stand upon.. Perl, and Smalltalk.. and all the other languages we seem to happily bag.. Go Perl.. Hey.. Perl runs the “third fastest growing social network in the US” and is behind the “3rd largest local search site in Canada”.. wow.. that’s a lot of thirds.. I wonder what runs 1st and 2nd :)

Seriously, Perl is dead? Meh.. not as long as there are people who love it. There’s always going to be more of you than Haskell programmers any day.

Personally I can’t stand the language.. but I’ll fight for your right to code in Perl any day.. and as a Ruby fan I’ll readily acknowledge the giants’ shoulders we stand upon.. Perl, and Smalltalk.. and all the other languages we seem to happily bag.. Go Perl..

]]> By: Alex http://royal.pingdom.com/2009/11/06/perl-far-from-dead-more-popular-than-you-think/comment-page-1/#comment-376393 Alex Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:58:55 +0000 http://royal.pingdom.com/?p=4589#comment-376393 As a Perl programmer I can say with all certainty that Perl is not dead, if it were I wouldn't have a job! www.nestoria.co.uk is written entirely in Perl. The Perl community has yearly conferences in Europe, North America and Asia, and just released a new major version in 5.10. And if anybody still thinks Perl is dead, check out the recent uploads to CPAN - http://search.cpan.org/recent - dead languages don't have people writing in them every day. As a Perl programmer I can say with all certainty that Perl is not dead, if it were I wouldn’t have a job! http://www.nestoria.co.uk is written entirely in Perl.

The Perl community has yearly conferences in Europe, North America and Asia, and just released a new major version in 5.10. And if anybody still thinks Perl is dead, check out the recent uploads to CPAN – http://search.cpan.org/recent – dead languages don’t have people writing in them every day.

]]> By: Dave Cross http://royal.pingdom.com/2009/11/06/perl-far-from-dead-more-popular-than-you-think/comment-page-1/#comment-376389 Dave Cross Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:21:58 +0000 http://royal.pingdom.com/?p=4589#comment-376389 You might want to recheck some of your information. The Guardian web site hasn't used any Perl since the killed off the Movable Type blogs over a year ago. You might want to recheck some of your information. The Guardian web site hasn’t used any Perl since the killed off the Movable Type blogs over a year ago.

]]> By: Kai Carver http://royal.pingdom.com/2009/11/06/perl-far-from-dead-more-popular-than-you-think/comment-page-1/#comment-376370 Kai Carver Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:12:30 +0000 http://royal.pingdom.com/?p=4589#comment-376370 Top Japanese social networking site Mixi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixi runs on Linux, Apache, MySQL, and Perl http://www.mysql.com/why-mysql/case-studies/mysql-cs-mixi.pdf http://mixi.jp/about.pl Top Japanese social networking site Mixi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixi
runs on Linux, Apache, MySQL, and Perl
http://www.mysql.com/why-mysql/case-studies/mysql-cs-mixi.pdf
http://mixi.jp/about.pl

]]> By: wumpus http://royal.pingdom.com/2009/11/06/perl-far-from-dead-more-popular-than-you-think/comment-page-1/#comment-376270 wumpus Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:18:31 +0000 http://royal.pingdom.com/?p=4589#comment-376270 You could also point out that Cobol and Fortran are equally alive and well. Consider just how much legacy code exists for either. Perl will likely be a sysadmin's best friend, but I would question coding anything in it that will be used another day. You could also point out that Cobol and Fortran are equally alive and well. Consider just how much legacy code exists for either.

Perl will likely be a sysadmin’s best friend, but I would question coding anything in it that will be used another day.

]]> By: Shawn http://royal.pingdom.com/2009/11/06/perl-far-from-dead-more-popular-than-you-think/comment-page-1/#comment-376250 Shawn Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:26:52 +0000 http://royal.pingdom.com/?p=4589#comment-376250 Not only is Perl still popular for web sites, it is gaining in the field of bio-analysis. Not only is it not dead, it's growing. Not only is Perl still popular for web sites, it is gaining in the field of bio-analysis. Not only is it not dead, it’s growing.

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