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To: Fleshgrinder <php@fleshgrinder.com>
Cc: PHP Internals <internals@lists.php.net>
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Date: Wed, 22 Jun 2016 12:01:24 -0400
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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] [RFC] RNG fixes
From: fsb@thefsb.org (Tom Worster)

On 6/21/16 3:29 PM, Fleshgrinder wrote:

> My favorite:
>
>> The PHP approach seems to be that any crazy behavior is acceptable as
>> long as it's documented.

People love raggin' on PHP.

It's a virulent meme. It propagates so well in our coder culture because 
it's easy, it's just provocative enough to attract attention but it's 
pretty safe because you can always find people to agree with you. 
Participants can feel smart and superior even if their contribution 
amounts to "me too".

It's like people raggin' on C++. "They named the language after the 
worst feature in C: pointer arithmetic!" Knowingly superior chuckles. I 
wonder how many of the people who pile on (propagating the meme) have 
the understanding of real experience. My own history with C++ was short 
but so miserable that I sometimes join in with this one.

Same thing with Perl. Before that it was COBOL. Raggin' on COBOL is 
legit even if you've no idea what COBOL code looks like.

It's a form social behavior for establishing groups and belonging. It 
works by using people's need for a sense of identity and validation. 
Computer people at a party can use these memes as small-talk to develop 
relations, either friendly or not. Our modern comms platforms' 
gamification literally rewards this behavior.

But once you're aware of it, it's like American stand-up comics raggin' 
on New Jersey. Usually good for a cheap laugh but in reality it's tired 
out, past its due date, old, utterly unimaginative, very, very boring, 
and, in the Frankfurtian sense[1], bullshit.

There. I finally said it. I've wanted to get it off my chest for years. 
I apologize that I rely too much on America vernacular and culture. And 
for totally hijacking Leigh's RFC thread.

Richard, nothing internals could do will stop PHP being the butt of 
these dreary jokes and insults. And there are more effective ways to 
push your agenda. Please consider using them.

Tom

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Bullshit