Every language has a purpose, even if it doesn't fit your preferences. For people new to development especially who may have started with some simple static HT

Every language has a purpose, even if it doesn't fit your preferences. For people new to development especially who may have started with some simple static HTML, just being able to rename a .html file to .php on a dirt cheap web host and have it "just work" is such a low barrier to entry that it is a tremendous learning tool. People also like to forget that PHP scales down better than any language out there, making it a no-brainer decision for cheap hosting of small and simple sites. When you start increasing traffic and throughput or building software to run an serious business, of course there are other great options. Just remember that every language has a purpose even if it's not yours, otherwise it wouldn't exist.