[new299]

I think the argument might be that it's easy (easier than many languages) to slip into writing bad Perl, which promotes brain rot, it also sounds like it's a discussion he's had many times before... and perhaps isn't too interested in having again.

[pyre]

  > it's easy (easier than many languages) to slip into
  > writing bad Perl

Bad programmers will write bad code no matter the language. I don't like this idea that the language can somehow force people to write better code, or that it should.

[buster]

See it that way: A bad programmer that can use such a variety of difficult to read symbols in a language (which perl clearly has) will just use all of them and the result will be horrible to read and understand. Also, often times python really has one obivous way to do a specific thing. Last time i was googling for some perl code (i think it was for some array handling) i have found at least 10 equally good totally different way on perlmonks in one thread. That's not bad per se but it promotes that every one uses another line of code and the bad ones choose the lines that may have unintended side effects but work in 90% of the usecases.

[new299]

> I don't like this idea that the language can somehow force people to write better code

Why is this a bad idea? Do you also object to Perl Critic? Or say having a policy of using Perl Critic?

[pyre]

Usage of Perl Critic and claiming that Perl 'rots your brain' are miles apart.

Also, I don't see anyone claiming that Python will 'rot your brain' because PEP-8 isn't enforced by the language.

[berntb]

You're arguing with a Karma 30 account.

It took some time before the trolls woke up in this thread.

(I'd love to get access to the HN logs and check IPs, to see if the trolls where sloppy with using alternative access and can be identified.)