The return values are different from the values the parameters are set to. For example, if you look here, you will see that

  $socket->send ("example"\n");
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really should be:

  my $retval = $socket->send("example\n");
  # make sure $retval is defined, and contains the length of the strin
+g
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ditto for the recv call.

As for closing the socket, I understand that *you* are not closing it, but there are 2 sides to every connection :).