Don't hate on PHP

It wasn't long after launching a major open source PHP project until I started hearing things like this:

I [...] immediately drop interest in a project when I see that it is implemented in PHP.

A lot of people have been hating on PHP in recent years, and frankly, they have every right to. In fact, you can hate on any language you want for whatever reasons you want. I could honestly care less.

But let me stop you from generalizing that opinion and shoving it down everyone's throat.

Sure, there are plenty of things I would change about PHP if I were the one designing it. I could say the same thing about every single programming language in the world, but that's not my job. I'm not engineering programming languages, I'm building web applications with them. And I'm certainly not going to undermine the hard working people who are designing these languages, whether I prefer to use them or not.

It's just a tool #

What developers seem to forget is that programming languages are nothing more than tools that help you get something done. Just like the tools in your garage, each and every one has a special purpose. Not every tool will work well for every job, and some tools do the same exact thing in very different ways. Variety is the spice of life.

But nobody tells a roofer his hammer is shit. Nobody tells a plumber his pipe cutter sucks. Nobody tells a carpenter his level is garbage. Each craftsman has their own preference based on their own experience, and that's perfectly acceptable.

If you don't like a tool, put it back in the toolbox. It's that simple. Don't run around telling everyone how shitty a programming language is because you don't like it. It might be your opinion, but it's a subjective, arrogant, and disrespectful opinion. Instead of coming off as a conceited asshole, use your expertise to advise people why a specific tool might be better for a specific purpose.

Even if you're right with your reason, it won't matter if you're wrong with your approach. We're supposed to be professionals — what say we start acting like it? Who knows what tomorrow will bring. For now, let's stop fussing over the tools we're using and focus on the goals we're trying to accomplish.