Comments on: Where is PHP going?

By: Jeff Sabarese

Jeff Sabarese — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 20:50:48 +0000

Robert, after some struggling with my own thoughts on the issue, i wrote an article in my own blog. I hope that you have an extra moment to please read it, and i would be honored if you would provide some feedback to me. why do i seek feedback? well– i think you’ll understand if you take a look at my article. it’s a bit disjointed, perhaps lacking the focus it needs i’m afraid, but i do feel that there’s a “Good” article hiding within my slightly verbose text. i realize you must be a busy man, but i’m looking for inaccurate “facts” and possibile suggestions as to how i might turn the draft into something which would be worthy of urging others to read. the article is in my blog at:
whatsonyourbrain dot com
i started it after my comment above, so i decided to title it “PHP and MySQL Development: Creating and Accepting a Sense of Credibility”. until i remove “Draft” from the top, i’ll consider it as such.

i look forward to visiting RobertPeake dot com on a regular basis as well. my programming obsession is only beginning to develop! uh oh!
and i find places like this to be a comforting retreat, and exemplary of the “stuff” which a “novice” such as myself should be perusing when he has the chance to do so. learning from each other is a thing of beauty which i view with high regard.

By: Robert

Robert — Thu, 05 Jan 2006 18:38:52 +0000

Jeff, thanks for your comments. I’ve never been laughed at for using PHP. But I do know PHP has come under undue fire. There’s always a certain amount of religiosity between languages, operating systems, text editors — you name it. So, I think a certain amount of mudslinging is to be expected. But sometimes in that mud there are kernels of useful feedback as well. So, rather than relying on numbers or personal feelings to justify where the language IS, I think we need to look at where the langauge can and should go. Hundreds of thousands of lines of enterprise-class PHP code later, the uninformed opinion that PHP is a “hobbyist language” just doesn’t phase me anymore. But when there’s some truth to what people say about what PHP might lack, I want to hear it — beause therein lies a chance at improvement. Thanks for checking in, and for caring about PHP. Trust me, you’re not alone.

By: Jeff Sabarese

Jeff Sabarese — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 18:27:09 +0000

wow! i’m so glad i found your web site, Mr Peake.

i must begin by apologizing because i wanted so badly to comment on an archived article, and unable to find a way to contact you, sir, i decided that perhaps it just might be relevant to post here– and to cross-reference your article titled “PHP: Enterprise PHP Embarassment”. i hope that maybe you’ll add my comment there, or you’ll accept and leave it here. thank you. now, on to specifics…

i have been trying to illustrate a point about, i guess you could call it “PHP: Accepting a Sense of Credibilty” or “PHP: Shameful Development”– mostly in regard to php programmers and “students” being taken seriously. i can’t seem to find the article i read (if it sounds familiar to you, please send the URL), but i guess it doesn’t really matter because i get the impression that you’ve read similar articles, and they’ve affected you as they have myself– basically that it is an insult to read, what i actually went as far to call “propaganda” in my thread on this topic at PHPBuilder.com, (titled “said PHP ‘n MySQL– Client Gives Blank Stare” under Echo Lounge category there), when someone in an ivory tower somewhere writes an article about php programmers being nothing more than glorified “web masters” (to coin a 90′s term to further illustrate) who have found a way to beef up their html forms with dynamic content. when i read that article (the one i can’t find!), it made me wonder “am i doomed to forever be concerned about the credibility of my development medium?”.

thanks again for this article. i have posted your URL in mine at phpbuilder. i’d be delighted if you take a moment to view my thread there. (be patient if reading it, as most of my respondants misunderstood my point)