tbf, that's horribly underwhelming. I read that and think, sarcastically: "WOW, Perl sure has come a long way! It's hardly recognizable! It's really going to give Python some serious competition now!"

say()? Really? This is how we're going to win converts? This is how we're going to convince people that Perl is a 21st-century language?

I'm not saying Perl hasn't come a long way. I'm saying that article doesn't give the impression that it has, contrary to the author's implied promise. As such, it actually works against Perl, as it solidifies in peoples' minds the fact that Perl is a has-been language. "This is what the Perl community get excited about?"