To be honest in most of these mentioned languages you can reach the same goal. There is nothing you can't do with a language which can't be done in the other from the end user perspective.
But I have the odd feeling that while it is good to stick to a language (for strategic reasons) it is bad for improving code, getting better at what you are doing from a developer perspective. If I hadn't learned Python and wrote something in Python I would never be the same developer as I'm now.
When you look at for example Ruby and Rails there are so much better things you can do in the testing area. Ever used RSpec and Cucumber? You should know what I talking about. This is awesome stuff and it will let you develop a quality web app in days which is also fully tested.
What I'm trying to say is that YOU HAVE TO stay hungry as a developer about what is next BUT you should carefully choose what to you use in business. Looking at the same stuff (PHP) and going only to PHP conferences and hanging around only with PHP developer won't help you to get a better developer in the overall perspective.
Last but not least I want you to read Paul Graham's essays about Python people and why you will get better Python developer than any other:
I had read the Python Paradox 2 months ago and had agreed with it.
A month ago, I got a job at a company which uses Python. I had not used it before, for I am a PHP-guy. I learned Python because I wanted to get the job. I continue to use PHP for my own personal projects. Hence, I disagree with the statement "people don't learn Python because it will get them a job; they learn it because they genuinely like to program and aren't satisfied with the languages they already know."
I am actually quite satisfied with PHP - it is still my primary language choice, while I learn Python on the side.
Python Paradox was written quite some time ago. Back then there were far fewer jobs for Python. python has become a lot more mainstream since then, hence your story of learning Python just for the sake of getting a job. IMHO, the idea of the Python paradox no longer applies to Python today.
But I have the odd feeling that while it is good to stick to a language (for strategic reasons) it is bad for improving code, getting better at what you are doing from a developer perspective. If I hadn't learned Python and wrote something in Python I would never be the same developer as I'm now.
When you look at for example Ruby and Rails there are so much better things you can do in the testing area. Ever used RSpec and Cucumber? You should know what I talking about. This is awesome stuff and it will let you develop a quality web app in days which is also fully tested.
What I'm trying to say is that YOU HAVE TO stay hungry as a developer about what is next BUT you should carefully choose what to you use in business. Looking at the same stuff (PHP) and going only to PHP conferences and hanging around only with PHP developer won't help you to get a better developer in the overall perspective.
Last but not least I want you to read Paul Graham's essays about Python people and why you will get better Python developer than any other:
http://www.paulgraham.com/gh.html
http://www.paulgraham.com/pypar.html