That note from Paul Graham, is not about using 'Perl' in specific. He seems to be trying to point out the fact that technically oriented people, will tend to use the current set of non-mainstream technologies against the current enterprise trends even if they are relatively new. If you apply that line of thinking. Python/Perl are the new C++/Java of our times. C++/Java have graduated to COBOL level ancientness by now.

Yes, Perl is still awesome. But the world now takes many things we offer for granted, Because nearly every half decent language these days has those features. The situation is not like what it was 20 years back. We have some marginal advantages over other languages, in the exact same way they have some other advantages over us. But its not like what it was 20 years back, where Perl was the only alternative available.

The situation with many other languages like Python is no different. And they too losing users to languages like Go and Scala. But just like how CGI, gave Perl some breathing time. So will Django and Rails give Python and Ruby some breathing time.

We have nothing radically new to offer for years now. There is incremental development. But that is that. This is really the reason why Perl 6 is all the more so important for Perl.