Started with BASIC, learnt Pascal, switched to C, C++, learnt Java, then started web developing with Perl. Then, one day, we paid an external developer for a project in PHP. I knew nothing of it. We had to make small modifications, so I opened the files and looked at the source. It was an unknown language, but I could read it. It was sort of simple. It was sort of readable. Had no "How to start with PHP" course or tutorial. I bought books on Java, Javascript, C, 68K Assembly code, C++, SQL, Ruby, DHTML, Cocoa, ActionScript 1+2+3, and most shit out there.. But thinking of it now, I never, ever, bought a single book on PHP! The online reference was incredible (today it is still a benchmark for others, in my opinion). In a few days not only I had made the modifications, but had started learning the new language in a way that allowed me to learn and become more productive while I worked. It sort of absorbed me. This implies writing better code while you go, yes, so the code you wrote before, is horrible compared to what you write later. But what I can tell is this: I still love PHP, I love the logic of it. Variables are variables, functions are functions (if you think this is obvious, think again). Accessing things inside arrays/objects is clear and simple (if you think this is obvious, think again). I definitely love PHP arrays. Now probably most newer languages have something as powerful, and you give it for granted, but the first love is hard to forget. Gosh, I even don't dislike variable variables (i mean $$var)! Sorry, love is irrational, you can't argue against it.