My 1st sites where ASP, then I switched to PHP and loved it. For my personal stuff I've always used PHP, and you're correct, the learning curve is awesome. The problem is when I've gone to get a job to advance my career they are like oh, PHP, that's good you can code, but we require java experience; as if to say that PHP people are hacks or something, But then I learn a little JSP and they act like oh wow, - Java. I don't work in HR, I don't really understand why most sites are PHP but the big companies are requiring us to use the sometimes unnecessary complexities of java.

For the loving of coding, I've been very pleased with PHP, but now that I have a baby and need to make money then non-coder HR community is forcing me into the JSP class.

I don't miss ASP.