This is a flame-out or a troll by some random JoS forum poster (not Joel Spolsky); it has no more merit than hundreds of similar eruptions that get posted to the usenet every day. I don't think such posts deserve comment.

The potential for illegibility in Perl code is an often discussed topic, both in PM and elsewhere. It is not necessary to broach the subject this way. IMHO it was an unwise decision to post this in PM. Even if you are quoting someone else, it is still garbage.

Also, I think the title of your thread is very misleading, because it gives the impression that the rant's author is Joel Spolsky. I have no idea what Spolsky's opinion of Perl programmers is. For all I know, he may have an even more negative opinion of them than this, but these are not his words.