I agree, Perl 5 isn't hard for newbies, it's just a little hard for the relative newbie to accomplish what they want in Perl. That accomplishment usually involves the web. PHP and Ruby make that easier, as matthewsnape above makes clear. If we reduce the hastle of that first accomplishment in Perl, more talented people will start Perl earlier, get used to its advantages, learn, and contribute. The health of a language depends as much on the new talent coming in as it does on the accomplished fellows already here.