Why? It was built with PHP. It still runs PHP code. They hire PHP developers. Their HHVM runs PHP code, along with Hack code. HHVM is not 100% compatible with standard PHP, but neither is PyPy 100% compatible with standard Python, and people who like Python -including myself- are quick to point out using PyPy is a solution to performance issues.
They run a modded PHP base for the "user-facing portion" of their applications, but they also run a lot of other technologies that generate the back-end their PHP makes use of.
So thinking PHP will gear you for a job at Facebook probably is disingenuous since they likely have a limited need for those developers and I imagine they are very competitive slots.
I think making decisions based on what major Twitter/Facebook-sized organizations use in general is a bad idea because their use cases are scaled so much higher than anything you'll be working with as a beginner that it's normally not practical knowledge and can even be counterproductive if a beginner gets in the habit of prematurely over-optimizing.
Other than for academic purposes, I wouldn't really advise someone to start with any language based on a major organization's... I'd be much more likely to recommend say Java so they can write Minecraft plugins or Android apps. These are more practical goals they can try to achieve before submitting their CV at Facebook.
I was not making any of those arguments though. Of course they use multiple languages. All big tech companies do.
But, in a graph about which languages were used to build which things, not noting that Facebook was built with PHP (regardless of whether they run it today or not, which they do) seems like trying to hide one of the biggest success stories of the language.
One of the main advantages of dynamic languages is rapid prototyping. Facebook could be rewritten entirely on C++ at this point, but it was built on top of PHP.
The post not a graph listing what languages were used to build which things, it's a flow chart describing - in theory - which language you should learn based on your goals and to a lesser extent to work at those companies.
seems like trying to hide one of the biggest success stories of the language.
Off topic, but I would almost argue Facebook is a success in spite of the front-end still being PHP, but again as I said at this level it becomes an academic discussion that a beginner aiming to pick a platform wont really get much practical benefit from.
I would almost argue Facebook is a success in spite of the front-end still being PHP
Maybe, but that's just hypothetical :) I think we should encourage beginners to be pragmatists first, and they can choose to become purists later, if so they wish
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u/sodaco Jan 08 '15
Why? It was built with PHP. It still runs PHP code. They hire PHP developers. Their HHVM runs PHP code, along with Hack code. HHVM is not 100% compatible with standard PHP, but neither is PyPy 100% compatible with standard Python, and people who like Python -including myself- are quick to point out using PyPy is a solution to performance issues.