Sure but C++ and Perl don't fall in the category of lesser tools. I've worked with both and cursed them both to death. But they achieved crazy popularity for

Sure but C++ and Perl don't fall in the category of lesser tools. I've worked with both and cursed them both to death. But they achieved crazy popularity for a reason. They are extremely powerful and capable tools. C++ especially can sing in the hands of masters. (And anyone who thinks they mastered C++ in less than 10 years doesn't realize how much more they have to learn. (I mainly curse it because once you have 20 people on a C++ project, there's no hope...)