Yes. But don't stop there. Don't care about all the "buzz" around PHP and it not being "good" anymore. What the hell does that mean, anyway? Programmers just like to hate what other programmers are doing and make fun of their skills and their tools (because no matter how you look at it, a language is just a tool and nothing else). It's basically idiotic if you ask me. There are tons of stuff on the web, all built with PHP that are rock solid, and still a lot more to come. A huge community, with a lot of great people willing to help and who really love this language and work hard to make it better.

The web runs on PHP much like the world runs on gasoline engines. There are a lot of problems with that, namely pollution, different interpretations, fires, etc. But, there are good implementations (BMW), bad implementations (Pinto), and simply amazing implementations (Veyron). By and large, though, you've got mediocre to average implementations (Chevy, Ford, Toyota, etc.)

So, yes. To learn PHP, it's not difficult, that's why it's so popular. But also: learn Javascript. Get really good at it. Learn proper CSS. Learn jQuery and AJAX and you will be set to build any website or app you want.

Sick of PHP? Learn Java. It will be much easier once you get a grip on PHP and Javascript. Then use all your combined knowledge in these languages to choose where you wanna go from there.

But then, on the horizon, something new appeared! Hydrogen power! (Django !) Electric power! (Ruby on Rails !) Even a few hybrid power cars! (CakePHP, Frameworks). And we can't forget rotary engines running on any fuel you give them and requiring frequent maintenance (Java/Tomcat).

However, even though they're cool to see once in a while, most of the drivers on the road are driving PHP. If you want to find a good mechanic and build something you can easily look up how to repair it, pick the one most people are using. If you're a real gearhead, pick something a little more rare. My advice is to start out doing the common thing and do it a lot. Work up to the other languages after you can program pretty well in one. Visit my first php site Ibommaapk and make