> Is something like HHVM considered a tech breakthrough? A largely backwards source-compatible, JIT'ed interpreter for one of the world's shittiest designed bu

> Is something like HHVM considered a tech breakthrough? A largely backwards source-compatible, JIT'ed interpreter for one of the world's shittiest designed but most widely deployed languages? That runs the frontend fleet for the #2 site on the Web? While supporting new core language features and extensions? Yes, I would say that's a breakthrough in interpreter implementation, and thus tech.