Content area
Full Text
The PHP gem
THANKS FOR the positive review of PHP [Hypertext Preprocessor]. [See Down to the Wire, June 21, page 146.] It is about time that somebody gave respect to this great tool.
As a Web developer, I find it indispensable. It allows you to create very sophisticated sites within hours due to the great libraries and developer enthusiasm that exists for it. Developers are rabid about PHP because it is like the Swiss Army knife of Web tools. Its features are for and by the Web.
Bob Kanuri bobkanuri@hotmail. com
I DISCOVERED PHP3 some time ago. It has taken me most of that time to begin to realize what a powerful language it is. It is a hidden gem in the open-source world. Although Apache, Linux, and various other products take the spotlight, PHP is quickly gaining momentum. It is articles like Petreley's that will make this wonderful technology a commodity.
Organizations need to know that technologies like this exist. PHP vs. ASP is one of the great debates within my own organization - as it should be at others.
Sam Hamilton New York
Innovation
I ENJOYED Michael Vizard's recent column. [See From the News Desk, June 14, page 5.] It's a good brief history lesson for those who think everything is brand-new. Vizard's points about the "same old technology" are interesting, true, and well-taken, but at the end I think he asked the wrong question.
The focus of the stated question seems to be on how things are done, not what is getting done. If you have hardware, use it. If something gets accomplished with an old technique, great. There has to be some advantage to inventing and using a new technique to make it of more than academic interest.
The industry has always been advancing at a crawl compared to what it seems like it should be, and is slowing even...