I wouldn't say its "missing" named function arguments. Treating arguments and return values as lists is very powerful. Perl is very Lisp-like in that aspect.
Also, CPAN is considered one of Perl's strengths. How did CPAN cause Perl to burn out?
You saying nobody starting web dev should use CGI.pm? Or CGI in general? Because CGI itself has its uses even today. It's much easier to understand and get off the ground than something like Mojo or Plack (I've used them all), and has its strengths compared to the others.
However, if you are saying no one should use CGI.pm, then I agree. That module is a bloated mess. Much more efficient ways to use CGI without that thing.
I consider myself a serious Perl developer, working in a Perl shop for the past 15 years. We still prefer using bless and continue to use it in the present day. It so much lighter weight than the M* systems and I prefer the simplicity and speed of it.
All I need is magic structs with methods and that provides it. Throw in a constant array of properties and an AUTOLOAD, and you have accessors if you need it.
Also, CPAN is considered one of Perl's strengths. How did CPAN cause Perl to burn out?