It's really more a matter of personal interest in the long view.

If Java developers are going to be regularly showing up Perl developers, and if the IT management of the largest corps are of the opinion Perl is slower than Java and, even worse, if that turns out to be true or undefendable, then what is the future of Perl and Perl programmers?

The answer may give existing Perl programmers - like myself - either motiviation to commit further to Perl as a career path, or consider keeping their options open.