PHP is fast and just about everybody "knows" it (which is a curse as much as a gift). But as someone who made a living writing PHP and made the jump to another

PHP is fast and just about everybody "knows" it (which is a curse as much as a gift). But as someone who made a living writing PHP and made the jump to another language: a) I find it more enjoyable to program in other languages. b) I can generally get things done more quickly in other languages (feel free to ignore this point if you're the opposite :P). c) Aside from speed, ubiquity, and the docs on php.net (which are awesome), I don't really get anything out of using PHP. d) People will pay me more to program in other languages. So yeah, I suppose my first reaction on reading "PHP" in any job description is "Eww". It's not really because I think PHP is wholly unsuited for programming, though. It's just not optimal for me, personally.