Well . . . .

Using the terms "scripts" and "applications" loosely nms may actually be the only good scripts out there. They are certainly the richest vein of quality scripts out there, the other quality ones are like needles in a haystack.

Of course there are some really solid applications out there, Everything2 and Slash are some good examples, but they are not what you need.

The only real problem with nms is that they are intended to be drop in replacements for lots of common CGI programs out there - meaning that they jump through a lot of hoops for backwards compatibility, and reinvent a lot of wheels to prevent the installer from heading to the CPAN.

If you're looking to encourage some good habits, start with nms and improve them leaving backwards compatibility behind. You'd probably learn something yourself along the way as well

Light a man a fire, he's warm for a day. Catch a man on fire, and he's warm for the rest of his life. - Terry Pratchet