Perl's not being a compiled language (at least in the classic sense)

I'm not sure what exactly you mean by "the classic sense," but Perl is definitely compiled in the sense of the word that I know. Perhaps you meant, "in the lazy way most people use the word." I certainly wouldn't call that the classic definition, though. :-)

PS: Sorry to pick a nit on a post whose substance I fully agree with, but I couldn't resist.