http://qs321.pair.com?node_id=11123155

netizen has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

Hi Monks,

I've visited in this forum in the past once in a while as back then I used to write some small scripts. Always preferred Perl over Python.

My question is not sarcasm, nor am I trying to troll you esteemed monks. It is a genuine question. This is a forum where most of you are quite mature and understanding folks and therefore I am hoping I will not be admonished for asking this question.

The question is, considering the current job scenario, especially in the automation field, do you guys think it makes sense to learn Perl or Python? I see the internet rife with articles stating the decline of my favourite language, and I also see a lot of demand for Python but not for Perl and therefore I ask this question - In today's job scenario, would it make sense to learn Perl? Are there any jobs available in Perl? Ofcourse knowing both Perl and Python would be great, but, I would rather start with 1 language, know it really well before I make the jump.

Or, would it now make sense to learn Perl as there's lesser folks into Perl than earlier so it will be sort of a niche skill?

Please do guide me.