If you're going to use a programming language for only a few minutes each week or month, you'd prefer one that is easier to learn, since you'll have forgotten nearly all of it from one use to the next. Perl is for people who are programmers for at least twenty minutes a day, and probably most of that in Perl.The highlights are mine.
I went to YAPC::NA 2011 and in my narrow slice of experience of the event and ancillary meetings (including Perl Mongers meetings), this quote from Learning Perl resonates with me.
Unfortunately (!), only jobs I've *applied* for would have me writing Perl everyday. As it is, and has been for nearly a decade, as much as I've wanted Perl to be my job, it has been nearly none of it. Thankfully, at least, my work now puts me back in front of actual code, so while it isn't Perl, it is something (Python and PHP).
- Schwartz, Randal L.; Foy, Brian D.; Phoenix, Tom. Learning Perl. 6th ed.
