[memracom]

Predicting the future is risky.

HHVM exists. You can benchmark it against Python and Ruby today. What are the results?

In any case, Python has things like cx_freeze that can be used to make apps close to compiled performance. And Python is not a single monolithic implementation. IronPython running on .NET for instance. PyPy has a VM with JIT.

In any case, few people these days are worried about raw performance of apps. There are easier things to fix with page load times, getting rid of resource locking, and so on.

HHVM will extend PHP's useful lifetime but outside of Facebook, Drupal-based sites, and WordPress-based sites, I don't see it growing in any significant way.

[LBarret]

cx_freeze just package python apps so you can distribute them like native apps, that is without requiring the installation of the python interpreter. It doesn't impact performance.

Performance oriented pythonners go with pypy, numpy, cython, numba, etc. Each of them gives a very significant speed boost.

[jiggy2011]

If you add up Facebook + Drupal + Wordpress you probably come to a large % of total worldwide pageviews.