Can't believe I'm jumping in here again, but:

One of the reasons I'd be reluctant to release a subroutine of my script as a Perl module is that it would probably be pounced upon and improved beyond recognition and beyond my ability to work with it any longer, and I wouldn't want to lose my first baby.

if this is true, then you are not yet a professional-level programmer, nor ready for a public review cycle. Please learn that you are not your code. It's not "your baby". This sort of pride will keep you from learning what you need to learn to become a better programmer, and perhaps even in some ways, a useful programmer.

Code is just code. A series of steps that you happened upon while trying to solve a problem in order to solve it repeatedly. There are very likely always better steps to do the same thing. It's not personal when someone says "here are better steps": it's just what it is, better steps!

The end product of coding is getting the job done. Not having something pretty to look at. This is technical work, not art.

I can now see why you react so badly to feedback, if you truly believe this way. And my hope for you is that some day, you'll realize how narrowing and ineffective your view forces you to be.