[idProQuo]

I was always under the impression that PHP hate comes from design flaws that make it easy to make mistakes, not from it being necessarily slower.

[CmonDev]

Node.js is also based around a subpar language, so it's not necessarily the main cause either.

[aaronem]

One might argue that Javascript is considerably less sub-par than PHP, though; speaking purely from my own experience, I've found that writing Javascript involves a significantly lower probability of the language attempting, at random intervals, to shatter my kneecaps with a crowbar.

[regularfry]

Both languages are painful, and both have a painful stdlib, but JavaScript's stdlib is much, much smaller, ergo less messy.

[girvo]

I've had the opposite experience! Given a choice, I'd avoid either, though. Scala spoils me.