The IT world is like a county fair. Buzzwords competing for MEME space and acceptance by programmers are like midway and sideshow barkers trying to out-shout each other to drum up more business:

  Step right up! In this booth we have the never seen before,
  the outrageous, the unbelievable, the "Object Oriented"! You
  will be amazed, my friends. You won't be satisfied with
  anything else...
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Software vendors are the food strip. Microsoft is like an elephant ear vendor -- the stuff they sell is big, sweet, attracts kids, lacks any real substance, and leaves you hungry after a short while.

Perl modules, then, must be the port-a-potty. They have a bad reputation, they're free to use, necessary, and you always feel better afterwards.