open (PROTECTED, "$protected");
@protected = <PROTECTED>;
close(PROTECTED);

#... not sure where $tag is coming from...
if (grep($_ eq $user[0], @protected)){
    sock("PRIVMSG $tag:$user[0] Is A Protected User!");
}

##</code><code>##

my $count = 0;
for(@protected){
   if($_ eq $user[0]){
     sock(...blah blah blah...);
     last;
   }
   $count++;
}

print("$user[0] was found at ".$count+1." in the list.\n");