non-Perl programmers opinion is critical, as when they are afraid of Perl, they don't learn it, and there are no new Perl programmers. We are just migrating from Perl to Python because Python programmers are easier to be found, and C++/Java/Net programmers are more eager to learn Python than Perl.

And I've seen Perl golf examples shown as arguments on "pick-a-technology" meetings.

It could be that I'm out of touch, but I haven't seen anyone putting Python golf examples in their .sig files. I do see this with Perl, however. One of my former coworkers even had (or maybe has) a 30ish character piece where the only contiguous letters were in the first eight characters: "perl -ape".

As far as the comment about only Perl programmers complaining about the line noise effect, that's completely contrary to my experience. I've heard it from several former Perl programmers, as the explanation of why they left, and I've heard it from students of a former Perl programmer, who explained they'd never learn Perl because it's just line noise. That last bit, that hurt. (Especially because I'd seen both Perl and Python code from their instructor, and my Perl code's been more legible than anything I've seen from him since back when he was doing Perl.)

As far as other sources of the reputation for Perl line noise - yes, they're all sources. I realize we can't stop all of them, but we should stop every one we can.

So, maybe pick another windmill. :)

Of the points you make - this one stands out to me, as something I actually use fairly often in anger:

explicit dereferencing (@{$foo->{bar}})

flatten method.

In effect what you are doing is gaming perl.