Some people really enjoy the work they do, and while generally that is true for me, I find that there are times where the grass definitely seems greener somewhere else. Especially when I see things like job postings from Microsoft.
Don't get me wrong, PHP has served me well over many years but there's the major issues I have with it that really causes me to yearn for something better. If that means learning .Net in my current job position (or on the side, which looks likely), then I seriously need to get to it. I should also point out that I was forced to learn PHP as a job requirement 5 years ago, just like I was forced to learn Java for a programming class in college I barely squeaked by in. I should note that I never felt forced to learn C++ as I fell in love with it as I got high A's, and even VB6 was a joy at times.
It seems for all my love of the programming style of Microsoft's languages, I've been forced into other areas - specifically this PHP one. My first real programming gig was PHP / MySQL on Apache on Xserves. My second programming gig was initially PHP / MySQL on Apache on Xserves, and has migrated to PHP / MySQL on Apache on Server 2008. If I can migrate to at least ASP.net / C# / MySQL on IIS on Server 2008, I'll have made lots of progress.
But one thing I've never truly done well is being steadfast in pushing forward in one area when feeling comfortable in another. Sure, we migrated from Apple Xserv's to Windows Server 2008, but that's because it was my only chance to throw myself a bone, as we needed to get some sort of managed hosting.
PHP works and I'm comfortable, why change? There's so many reasons why I still use PHP instead of ASP.net / C#. For one, because I feel like starting a rewrite of our current web application is something that can never be completed. I am only one man (and there is nobody else) and with my current implementation plans on the PHP side of things, I feel like having to redevelop these items plus re-implement the system from scratch could cause. For two, I'm having a bugger of a time getting .Net 3.5 setup properly on our machines.
Learning new stuff shouldn't be an issue, but it is. And it's not like I don't have the tools - I have digital copies of C# 2008 and Learning ASP.Net 3.5 with C#. I've gotten into the BizSpark program so I have access to all the developer tools I could ever need, including Visual Studio 2008 (and the soon-to-be-released 2010). I even have access to some great hosting I hardly utilize over at Reliablesite.net, and to top it all off, we've even migrated to Windows Server 2008 for our production web servers that are utilizing Apache for PHP and MySQL.
Instead of taking charge and leading the way, I've felt small and unimportant in my role at work. I'm currently struggling with a module implementation that I keep wanting to put off. The economy hasn't helped as I have tons of responsibilities that have been added during my tenure yet I've gotten only one raise and only when it was a mission critical moment (when my CTO was let go and I assumed many of his responsibilities). And when I'm at work, I'm fully secluded (which is great) but I make up the IT team nearly 100%, so there are no programmer or even techie co-workers anywhere close to where I am relegated to exist.
I guess, in short, it feels like I have been a passenger on this journey, just along for the ride, allowed to offer advice for directions at time, but never fully in control. I think it's time for me to take the wheel.
