Perl usage on the web began to fall off due in part to PHP, but you're neglecting the huge amount of Perl used in text processing, system administration, automation, even the sciences.
PHP is (very mildly) comparable to Perl's Mason template engine, if Mason were the only way to use Perl.
you're neglecting the huge amount of Perl used in text processing, system administration, automation, even the sciences
Are you saying that perl usage had started to fall off in these areas before it lost its crown as the lingua franca of the web? Possible, but again that is not how I remember it rolling out.
PHP is (very mildly) comparable to Perl's Mason template engine, if Mason were the only way to use Perl.