I still don't get this logic about hating a language. Languages are nothing but tools to get a thing done. Use the right language for the right job.

Just because you don't get a language does not make it bad. Somehow it seems fashionable to hate PHP and VB. 

If we take VB as an example. Before it became vb.net, it motivated many people to start programming for windows. It was simple to get started, you designed the GUI with a point and click interface. There were no other tools like that which enabled you to program that easily. It was not really the language but the IDE that made it that simple to get started. Since the IDE and language were tied down together it just made more people to get started with VB.

I won't say that the GUI's designed using VB were pretty. But it helped non-programmers to write a "Hello World" program without doing too much. It motived them enough to get started. Can't say they same about most languages even today.

To get started with a new language or a tool it normally boils down to how soon can you get productive and see results. And when you are learning a new language the last thing you want to see are warnings and errors in your "Hello World" program.

It really does not matter which language you use. As long as you concepts are clear moving from one language to another should not be that difficult.