I'm not certain there's a downside to Perl's popularity so much as there's a downside to short-sightedness and poor (or lack of) planning.

A few instructive clichés come to mind:

• When your only tool is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

• It's possible to write bad code in any language. (or perhaps more appropriately: You can write good code in any language.)

• Poor planning on your part doesn't require poor planning on mine.

The main points being:

• Use the best tool for the job.
• Evaluate and test solutions carefully.
• Keep an open mind. It's nice to enjoy using certain tools, but learn the alternatives, even ones you find distasteful.
• Experiment, test, and learn.
• Actively, and continually, seek to improve your skills
• Discover, accept, and then find ways around your limitations and your mistakes.
• Document your findings, even if only in personal journals and/or "notes to self."
• Effective solutions balance the idealistic and the realistic.

Specialization and success are both nice, however, there is no excuse for complacency. I believe wise programmers (and managers, for that matter) will actively seek ways of doing things better, even when handed a disorganized or poorly designed mess to start with.

--f

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