File-scoped lexicals are globally-scoped to anything in that file. our is only really useful when dealing with application-globals - things that will be used in more than one file. (@ISA, @EXPORT_OK, and $VERSION come to mind.) That's the reason why my is singularly possessive and our is plurally possessive. I personally think that our is misused in 99% of its usage.

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We are the carpenters and bricklayers of the Information Age.

The idea is a little like C++ templates, except not quite so brain-meltingly complicated. -- TheDamian, Exegesis 6

Please remember that I'm crufty and crochety. All opinions are purely mine and all code is untested, unless otherwise specified.