Don't worry about it, BlueLines. merlyn is correct that CGI.pm is better than doing it the way that you did, but that doesn't mean you HAVE to do it that way. Nor does it mean that it is always wrong to roll your own. How do you learn what not to do without trying it?

In this case, merlyn is right; you SHOULD use CGI.pm. It won't break, most likely, if you upgrade to a newer version of CGI.pm later, although that is possible. And it is more secure than hand-rolling, for many reasons, including that CGI.pm doesn't make typo's, while humans do.

Finally and most importantly, you and your team members are the ONLY people who can decide what is and is not appropriate to your situation. merlyn is no more a god than any of us here. He has good advice, usually; that doesn't mean you must always do as he demands.

- email Ozymandias