Perlmonks doesn't exist to take the place of backups, of course. But I think it's true that memory is one of the functions of Perlmonks. The main reason I post code here is that I hope it will be preserved in some kind of community memory. Not that someone is going to use the actual programs I post -- I tend to simplify them to make them more understandable rather then generalize them to be more widely applicable. The place for code that's useful in itself is CPAN, it seems to me. What I'm hoping when I post here is that the ideas embodied in my code will be remembered, and someone will make them into something even better.

Having a community memory is, I think, one of the big advantages of open source.