I agree with most of this, but a major problem that I have noticed is that with the recent 'dot.gone burn', the (job) market is literally flooded with experienced Perl programmers, but there are no positions for them. Mostly this is due to Perl being free. To learn C++, C#, Java you've got to spend a lot of money. Courses do not come cheap, the software doesn't come cheap and certification (where it is offered) isn't cheap.

However, if anybody with just programming knowledge in anything from BASIC upwards and the willingness to learn can get hold for software that is free to use, free to download, free to 'learn by example' (the quickest and easiest way to learn IMHO) - you can probably have a Perl programmer that can make a basic script in next to no time. He runs his own website off it and other scripts he wrote, learns, looks at other scripts and before you know it, he's writing a complete Intranet based Management Information System in it... If that person had to get C++, learn by reading books and going to courses (and the associated costs - there isn't that much code available to read and learn by), it would have taken so much longer and if you are on a budget - it isn't an option.

Compare Linux+MySQL+Apache+Perl to (shudder) Windows 2000 Advanced Server+MS SQL Server+IIS+ASP. Which costs a lot more in the set up costs, staff costs and maintenance. Let alone security holes? But which do big corporations go for (even though ever techy knows which is the best one to go for). Why? Because 'oh, things are free for a reason - if we've got to pay lots of money for it it has got to be damn good - just look at all those ASP programmers asking 60,000UKP upwards, it must be good if they are charging that much'.

All in all, if Perl6+ had a licence fee charge for it and a 'certification' was made available AND Perl programmers put up their 'minimum wage', Perl would take off again big time. Of course, it's all IMHO, but you did ask for my opinion :-)