I hope Jeff succeeds in promoting an alternative to the level of ubiquity of PHP. I think PHP is a generally awful language, eclipsed in sheer programming linguistic badness only by such systems as MUMPS (which, fortunately, I have never had the opportunity to work with). Fractal of bad? Check.

And it isn't just a bad programmer thing. PHP's bad habits encourage novice (or uncaring) programmers to pick up bad habits, especially if they are not particularly inclined to study how to use their tools well. Given a language where the obvious thing to do is right vs. one where it's wrong (see PHP < 5 database queries - no prepared statements, mysql_escape_string) vs. an environment where the obvious thing, encouraged by the introductory tutorials, is right, I think that the more correct/safer language will encourage programmers to write better code.

But reading the comments here and on Jeff's post, it is humbling to remember that people are using it, every day, to build more and better software than I ever have. I may have a visceral dislike for the language, but good programmers are able to do good work even with a double-clawed hammer.