> But, you have to ask, why are they still using PHP??
If you read the comments, you'll find the answer further down. They do address it. At their scale, all languages/platforms break and they would need to invest the same amount of time and effort getting it to work.
It won't make a difference if you switch to the latest hipster language. You'll still need an effort of this magnitude to get it to scale the way they need it to.
Furthermore, rewriting an entire code-base is a monumental undertaking that is both expensive and complex. Especially for something as large and diverse as Facebook. It also makes zero business sense and Facebook is a business.
Why should they take a risk with a new code-base, when what they're doing is clearly working? PHP just works.
If you read the comments, you'll find the answer further down. They do address it. At their scale, all languages/platforms break and they would need to invest the same amount of time and effort getting it to work.
It won't make a difference if you switch to the latest hipster language. You'll still need an effort of this magnitude to get it to scale the way they need it to.
Furthermore, rewriting an entire code-base is a monumental undertaking that is both expensive and complex. Especially for something as large and diverse as Facebook. It also makes zero business sense and Facebook is a business.
Why should they take a risk with a new code-base, when what they're doing is clearly working? PHP just works.