I'll weigh in.

Problem is, php is acutally a *framework* for building web apps. primitive, but a framework, and that's what people want.

Frameworks exist for perl as well, but they are hell to install, *especially* on shared servers.

Case in point

installing catalyst on Dreamhost -- a quest in progress

I still haven't got the catalyst install on my dreamhost server to the ease of use that would encourage casual newbies to try it out. Same goes for every perl framework -- and frameworks are where the power is.

I'd concentrate on getting *frameworks* easier to install on shared servers, to encourage newbies to pick things up with perl, and I would consider the *real* competition to be ruby/ror and not php.

Anybody wants to help me on the catalyst thing, give me a private msg, I asked about on the list but didn't get much of a response.