diff --git a/blog/against-toxicity-programming-languages.markdown b/blog/against-toxicity-programming-languages.markdown new file mode 100644 index 0000000..99b00bf --- /dev/null +++ b/blog/against-toxicity-programming-languages.markdown @@ -0,0 +1,65 @@ +--- +title: "My Stance on Toxicity About Programming Languages" +date: 2022-05-23 +tags: + - toxicity + - culture +--- + +I have been toxic and hateful in the past about programming language choice. I +now realize this is a mistake. I am sorry if my being toxic about programming +languages has harmed you. + +By toxic, I mean doing things or saying things that imply people are lesser for +having different experience and preferences about programming languages. I have +seen people imply that using languages like PHP or Node.js means that they are +idiots or similar. This is toxic behavior and I do not want to be a part of it +in the future. + +I am trying to not be toxic about programming languages in the future. Each +programming language is made to solve the tasks it was designed to solve and +being toxic about it helps nobody. By being toxic about programming languages +like this, I only serve to spread toxicity and then see it be repeated as the +people that look up to me as a role model will then strive to repeat my +behavior. This cannot continue. I do not want my passion projects to become +synonymous with toxicity and vitriol. I do not want to be known as the person +that hates $PROGRAMMING_LANGUAGE. I want to break the cycle. + +With this, I want to confirm that I will not write any more attack articles +about programming languages. I am doing my best to ensure that this will also +spread to my social media actions, conference talks and as many other things as +I can. + +I challenge all of you readers to take this challenge too. Don't spread toxicity +about programming languages. All of the PHP hate out there is a classic example +of this. PHP is a viable programming language that is used by a large percentage +of the internet. By insinuating that everyone using PHP is inferior (or worse) +you only serve to push people away and worst case cause them to be toxic about +the things you like. Toxicity breeds toxicity and the best way to stop it is to +be the one to break the cycle and have others follow in your footsteps. + +I have been incredibly toxic about PHP in the past. PHP is one of if not the +most widely used programming languages for writing applications that run on a +web server. Its design makes it dead simple to understand how incoming HTTP +requests relate to files on the disk. There is no compile step. The steps to +make a change are to open the file on the server, make the change you want to +see and press F5. This is a developer experience that is unparalleled in most +HTTP frameworks that I've seen in other programming environments. PHP users +deserve better than to be hated on. PHP is an incredibly valid choice and I'm +sure that with the right linters and human review in the mix it can be as secure +as "properly written" services in Go, Java and Rust. + +Take the "don't be toxic about programming +languages" challenge! Just stop with the hate, toxicity and vitriol. Our jobs +are complicated enough already. Being toxic to eachother about how we decide to +solve problems is a horrible life decision at the least and actively harmful to +people's careers at most. Just stop. + +--- + +This post is not intended as a sub-blog. +If you feel that this post is calling you out, please don't take this +personally. There is a lot of toxicity out there and it will take a long time to +totally disarm it, even with people dedicated to doing it. This is an adaptation +of [this twitter +thread](https://twitter.com/theprincessxena/status/1527765025561186304).