Re: Re: getting a LAMP job in this economy

Chris Lott wrote:

It's hard, I think in part, because of the reputation PHP is getting in some circles. Many of the people evangelizing it don't know anything else, and simply extoll all the 'wonderful' virtues of it.

YES! This "poisoning of the well" has happened and continues to happen. The problem is that being an evangelist is a wonderful thing-- but you have to be quite skilled at communication to be a successful one :) Otherwise the person attempting to spread the gospel simply becomes looked at as an annoyance or, worse, becomes marginalized. I have dealt with a lot of folks in companies who have a negative view of PHP, MySQL, Linux, BSD, etc. simply because they have had their intelligence insulted, or been irritated, or been completely confused, or been preached to one too many times by well-meaning proponents of Open Source solutions who are either unable to communicate or simply victim to their own enthusiasm.

Right on. It's doing far more damage than all the stuff MS, Sun, Allaire and others can conspire to throw at our community, imo. Perhaps we should get together on a 'PHP advocacy HOWTO' ? :)

There is probably nothing that doesn't have an Open Source solution in the abstract sense-- but in the real world of existing systems, personnel, and politics, the best solution may not be technically the fastest or even the most stable. The right tool for the job is my motto, and that might mean SQL Server, it might mean MySQL. It might mean a Linux server, it might mean Win2K. There is no single panacea.

Amen - except that you need to be able to discern WHY something is 'right'. If a consultant tells one of my clients that SQL Server is the way to go, I have to explain to my client (1) the benefits/drawbacks of SQL Server and (2) whatever other agenda that consultant may have. What's the 'best tool' for HIM/HER may not be for us. I've come across this more times than I care to recall. And yes, our recommendations are loaded towards what's best for us, no doubt, but we generally have price on our side to start with (lower or no licensing fees) and a satisfied clients who've 'taken the PHP plunge' before them, so they don't feel like they're the first ones trying this 'new fangled PHP stuff'. Michael Kimsal http://www.tapinternet.com/php PHP Training Courses 734-480-9961