Where are you using LWP::Simple? WWW::Search does not use LWP::Simple. The alternatives to LWP are HTTP::GHTTP, and HTTP::Lite, and HTTP::GHTTP proports to be the fastest of them all.

The other thing you could do is parallel requests, perhaps with something like Parallel::ForkManager (see this and look around here for other examples of this type technique).

MJD says "you can't just make shit up and expect the computer to know what you mean, retardo!"

I run a Win32 PPM repository for perl 5.6.x and 5.8.x -- I take requests (README).

** The third rule of perl club is a statement of fact: pod is sexy.