But swapping database servers isn't common

Really? It is in my experience. I've written throwaway Perl programs that have lasted years beyond their useful lifetimes, switched OS and database servers half a dozen times, and have benefitted greatly from the cross-platform nature of Perl and the cross-database nature of DBI.

Yes, sybperl might be more mature, and it gives wider access to the Sybase API, but is that really what a Perl newbie writing a Web login program is looking for? I'd be looking for the widest portability possible, both for that specific program and my own learning curve.

Or perhaps I'm just a Web designer used to choosing the lowest common denominator anyway. ;)

~chris