Summary of “Perl Vogue” by Dave Cross

In his talk “Perl Vogue”, Dave Cross delivers a witty and light-hearted commentary on the Perl programming community’s surprising resemblance to the fashion world.

The Core Idea

Inspired by a trip to Italy—known for its fashion-forward culture—Dave reflects on how the Perl community is similarly conscious of trends. While not about hats or makeup, Perl developers care deeply about the modules they use. Using outdated modules, such as:

• OraPerl
• Maypole
• Class::DBI

…can make one the subject of ridicule, much like wearing last season’s clothes.

Keeping Up with Perl Trends

Dave points out that in the fashion world, magazines like Vogue help people stay up-to-date with what’s stylish. He suggests that Perl needs something similar to track the shifting landscape of module popularity.

Introducing Perl Vogue

He humorously proposes the creation of a resource—Perl Vogue—that could help Perl developers stay on trend. This wouldn’t be a print magazine, but likely a website: perlvogue.com.

Suggested Article Titles

• Have you made time for DateTime?
• A module to autodie for.
• Is Plack the new black?

Call to Action

The talk concludes with a mock-up of the website and a call for community contributions:

Please submit articles to: editor@perlvogue.com

Closing Thoughts

While tongue-in-cheek, the talk raises a real point: staying current with Perl modules and practices is vital. Perl Vogue is a playful metaphor for a serious message—keep your codebase fresh and fashionable.

Thank you very much.