Even with Python (CGI backed by Apache), you can scale with threads. The issue of scaling with threads vs. events is a pretty hot debate, and I think the author sets up this kind of criticism by addressing it poorly. Personally, I fall into the event-driven camp, because it involves the operating system as little as possible (only file descriptors). The C10K link has a great overview of the threaded approach (http://www.kegel.com/c10k.html#threaded). Read through the rest of the page for a discussion on the pros/cons of other approaches.