if ( length param('newCOMMENT') ) # deciding if a new comment exists?

# untaint form input with strict regexes - don't need to know exactly what is happening
    my ($event) = param('event') =~ /\A(\w+)\z/
        or die "bad event";
# just wondering why code is different for 'newComment'
    my ($comment) = param('newCOMMENT') =~ /\A([\w\h]+)\z/
        or die "bad comment";