From my POV, my first encounter with _the_ language (of anybodys' choice:-) was 25 years ago on VAX/VMS and prototype Ferranti PC (Ferranti Advance - remember them?) hardware - after which I didn't have an awful lot of exposure (it was predominantly Assembler, C & shell/make script) ...

Until about '98 when I joined Sun - using it [perl] (in conjunction with shell & make script) to write a bespoke change management system integrating the in-house version control & build systems.

Since when I've been using it [perl] (c/w the aforementioned shell & make script) to extend &/or customise all manner of configuration management (and configuration management related) tools and processes.

Apart, that is, from 2 engagements:

1. one (split over 2 year long assignments) that utilised it to provide the hub (pun intended) of a military standard messaging system and ...
2. the current engagement - which is using it to provide hardware test suites/harnesses - an engagement where for some bizarre reason, I appear to have, by far, the most experience of the language within the test team ... providing endless opportunities, none of which are shunned, to evangelise

And that, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, concludes the evidence for the defence :-D