[ianamartin]

Yeah, but he linked to the most epic internet take-down of any language ever[0]. So, you know: points++

But the brief section on SQL is just weird. It's so completely awful that some people invented a shitty way to not use it? That's the argument? Huh. Command Lines must be completely awful because someone invented a mouse and some pictures, and those are a shitty way to not use command lines.

[0]: http://eev.ee/blog/2012/04/09/php-a-fractal-of-bad-design/

[boyaka]

I find it amazing how all these self proclaimed web gurus that make "pretty" blog posts or articles think that they're way of doing things is so great. This ∆ is how his blog looks on my phone. Gotta love reading two words on a line.

∆ http://i.imgur.com/WQ3Um9d.png

[blubblyboo]

Nobody said it's completely awful. It's just that using learning another language for it isn't necessarily the best way to go for someone new. Just like I'd rather use only one single language for scripting on my PC, not 5.

[ianamartin]

Well, if a database were a PC that you were writing some scripts for, then it might make sense to control it with the same language you use for scripting your PC, wouldn't it? I'd say it's a different enough thing that the same tool doesn't fit both well.

But to be serious, it's not the language that's the barrier. It's the concept of sets and set computation that's different from the more normal things. The language just happens to address the problem domain pretty well. What avoiding learning a smidge of SQL does is allow you to avoid learning to understand your data. And that's probably fine for a beginner. But the article wasn't really addressed to what's wrong with the web for beginners. It's about what's wrong with the web, period. And I don't think that SQL--as a langauge--is really a problem.

[hashberry]

Using PHP to give an example of why the Web sucks is like saying MS-DOS sucks because of QBasic.

[blubblyboo]

True, but people associate it with web development. Do a university course, most likely they'll teach you PHP. Contract someone to do a small site for you, they'll probably use PHP. WordPress uses PHP and it's the foundation of some of the most popular websites on the web.

Even if you want it or not, PHP is part of the web, de facto or not.

[pekk]

Aren't a significant proportion of web sites you can visit built on top of PHP?