No, node.js needed to happen. Javascript makes it very easy to write event-driven code, which it turns out is a pretty good model for a web server, especially i

No, node.js needed to happen. Javascript makes it very easy to write event-driven code, which it turns out is a pretty good model for a web server, especially if you are routing real-time data between clients. It didn't just "go viral", it had solid proven performance stats. Don't get me wrong, I started with PHP and it is solid, but yech I wouldn't call it fun.