You're spotting the wiseguy aspect but ignoring the other aspect: that it admits I could drop bombs on PHP, even while considering him a real programmer, but kindly and unusually don't due to a rare moment of respect given the story I read. So, the statement both conveys my position and avoids an attack while also delivering a "Hell yeah!" moment of respect.
That you ignored the obvious compliment embedded in that... twice... was tiresome. I won't let it bother me, though. Just helping you follow along. :P
Uh, when I say tiresome, I'm partly talking about the attitude that this would be interesting reading:
that it admits I could drop bombs on PHP, even while considering him a real programmer, but kindly and unusually don't due to a rare moment of respect given the story I read.
PHP is well worn territory, discussion of who is a real programmer or not is just dick measuring.
"PHP is well worn territory, discussion of who is a real programmer or not is just dick measuring."
I agree on the dick measuring aspect. Far as the language, the critiques of it on a technical, semantic, whatever level are well-worn. Yet, they rarely counter PHP with alternatives and suggestions that align with PHP users' preferences and goals. Same for Visual Basic 6 and Excel macro communities. The bombs I'd drop on it would be from that perspective.
I rarely see people on HN and elsewhere doing that when the subject is PHP. Hard to tell where it would be on the spectrum between working my ego and my usual function of pushing people in directions that meet their goals while maintaining a better baseline in software quality, security, extensibility, and maintenance. Undoubtedly some of both but people steadily benefit from those kinds of recommendations. Often other readers rather than person I'm talking to.
