From what I've seen of at least Python, it can't really touch CPAN (yet?). It is not the same width of neither modules nor infrastructure (CPAN Testers, etc.).

And the lack of code blocks irritates the life out of me. But I get why it is a common education language, like Pascal in its days.

Edit: Mithaldu wrote this up well.

I was responding directly to the "loved" part, but now I realize that was not clear. For the record, I think everything but CPAN applies to Ruby and Python. And your personal irritations are not really relevant to people who use it, just as my personal irritations with Perl are relevant to people who use (and maybe love) it.

Considering the amount of trolling you get when Perl is mentioned on e.g. HN, I'd say that some other language culture's love is boundless -- and a bit less than fully grown up...

Which also applies to that "great community" point. Shudder.