In his latest post Adam Culp talks about an interesting (and slightly disturbing) trend he's seeing in the technology and developer community in his area: developers are leaving/being picked up faster than they're being replaced.

Over the past couple years I’ve noticed a rise of good companies no longer outsource offshore to save money, instead they outsource because they can’t find developers here. [...] I’m sad to see the dwindling number of developers available to fill a growing number of jobs in South Florida. [...] Couple this with most companies and recruiters simply drain the pool without giving back, and governments sinking more and more of our hard earned taxes into already flooded non-tech related fields. The end result is higher unemployment, folks with a degree who can’t find work, and the vicious cycle continues on and on.

As the demand grows for more talented technical people, this gap is only going to widen. New developers aren't coming in fast enough (or learning fast enough) to fill the holes. He talks specifically about what he's seeing there in Florida, but it's a story that's happening in many places around the country...and some places around the world. Developers get "snatched up" by companies and they're no longer allowed or have the time to contribute back and teach the newer developers. He links to an article that discusses the same topic and comes to many of the same conclusions.

According to Tony Bibbs, PHP's real problem is itself.:

So what do I mean when I say PHP's problem is PHP itself? [...] One word. Sustainability.

He suggests that, while PHP has made a big splash in the areas it's hit, it is still tripping over its own feet. PHP, the language, can meet the needs of just about any sort of web development that might come down the line, but when good PHP developers are so hard to find, why should any organization bother with working it into their technology stack?

Comments on the article responds to the "chicken and egg situation" Tony has presented and how things like user groups can help stoke the fires of PHP's presence in not only the budding web developers but also in the professionals looking to expand their horizons.