4 ms·

The stated goals of this project aren't the ones I would have picked, but I'm sympathetic to the motivation behind it. I think that a vastly cleaned up PHP (PH

by ra 15y ago

The stated goals of this project aren't the ones I would have picked, but I'm sympathetic to the motivation behind it. I think that a vastly cleaned up PHP (PHP6 or whatever) would attract the millions of loyal developers that PHP already has. Many people just don't appreciate how much mindshare PHP has in parts of northern / central europe. And for those people it's not about $3 hosting, for them it's a proven workhorse language in which they can get things done on the web. Not to mention that a business culture has grown up around these localised skill concentrations in which lots of businesses are now run on PHP. I think when you say, "PHP has only one feature going for it: it already exists", you are vastly over trivializing steamroller-like traction and market penetration.

sneak 15y ago
But if he's creating a new, unrelated language and calling it PHP, all he's doing is hijacking that "steamroller-like traction and market penetration" anyway.
- ra 15y ago
  Definitely. Forking isn't the way to go. My comment was in response to, "PHP has only one feature going for it: it already exists"
stdbrouw 15y ago
"for them it's a proven workhorse language in which they can get things done on the web" ... which has a lot to do with its broad adoption (and thus easy hiring), and with certain software packages like Drupal, WordPress, Moodle and so on. When has the elegance or power of a language ever been a consideration in the general business culture?
- trebor 15y ago
  It hasn't been the case with Fortran or COBOL, IMO. And both are still used, despite being "dead," to maintain legacy systems that companies can't quite afford to replace yet.
  - ra 15y ago
    > ... legacy systems that companies can't quite afford to replace yet. Or rather, have no compelling reason to replace yet. BTW: Many people would be amazed how much ADABAS + Natural still runs in government / banking around the world.

by ra 15y ago

sneak 15y ago

But if he's creating a new, unrelated language and calling it PHP, all he's doing is hijacking that "steamroller-like traction and market penetration" anyway.

ra 15y ago
Definitely. Forking isn't the way to go. My comment was in response to, "PHP has only one feature going for it: it already exists"

stdbrouw 15y ago

"for them it's a proven workhorse language in which they can get things done on the web" ... which has a lot to do with its broad adoption (and thus easy hiring), and with certain software packages like Drupal, WordPress, Moodle and so on. When has the elegance or power of a language ever been a consideration in the general business culture?

trebor 15y ago
It hasn't been the case with Fortran or COBOL, IMO. And both are still used, despite being "dead," to maintain legacy systems that companies can't quite afford to replace yet.
- ra 15y ago
  > ... legacy systems that companies can't quite afford to replace yet. Or rather, have no compelling reason to replace yet. BTW: Many people would be amazed how much ADABAS + Natural still runs in government / banking around the world.