So, are useful (core) modules like Exporter and Memoize "bad" code? Because they do turn off "ref" strictness - you can't do the stuff they do if you always have all levels of strictness turned on. Use of symbolic references isn't a trick. Far from that. It's something very powerful. So powerful that it's a good idea to have it turned off most of the time. But not always.

You aren't a good programmer because of the restrictions you put on yourself (otherwise, we'd all be programming Brainfuck); you are a good programmer when you know when to restrict yourself, and when not.

Abigail