You did pay for the car, though, right? (If not, let's pretend you did ;->)

You paid someone for all the work and materials that went into your car.

With CPAN modules, you're not paying for it. You're taking from the community. Which is, IMO, ok. Some people feel guilt that they aren't giving back to the community as much as they are taking from the community. Or at least what they may consider a fair ratio of taking to giving.

Not that I suffer from the OP's affliction here, but I think I at least understand it enough not to use the car analogy. Your analogy would hold better if you got all your materials and information for free, and just had to labour to put it together. Highly unlikely for a vehicle, but common practice with perl and CPAN modules.

Update: I'd like to reemphasise that I don't suffer from the OP's guilt - as thor points out below, these are modules that are freely given to the community. I do understand, however, the feelings of give and take - if all you do is take, you feel like less of a person than if you give in return.

In reply to Re^2: Suffering from CPAN guilt by Tanktalus
in thread Suffering from CPAN guilt by jeyroz

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