In the past 15 years, backend development has stagnated under Node.js, microservices hype, and serverless illusions.
This article argues for a full architectural reset — introducing a radical new approach called Dia.ts.
Would love to hear thoughts from the community.
How We Rebranded MVC, Reinvented Routing, and Called It Innovation
Every few years, we reinvent the web. Or at least, we like to think we do.
Next.js is often praised as the "future of web development." It promises performance, scalability, and developer experience. But beneath the surface, it’s not revolutionary. It’s PHP — in a React costume — running on Node.js.
This post explores how the architecture of Next.js mirrors the patterns of early 2000s PHP frameworks — and why calling it “modern” might just be marketing.
1. Same MVC, New Syntax
We’ve seen this before: Model. View. Controller.
- Model: Prisma, Drizzle, or any ORM.
- View: JSX templating in React.
- Controller: getServerSideProps, server actions, middleware.
This is classic MVC, the same structure PHP and Rails used. The difference? This time it comes wrapped in hooks and `useEffect`.
Frameworks like Laravel or Rails delivered this pattern with elegance. Next.js revives it with complexity — async everywhere, cache management, server boundaries.
2. File-Based Routing Isn’t New
File-based routing is presented as a breakthrough. But PHP, Laravel, and even `index.php` routing did this years ago.
What’s changed? Folder conventions and syntax. The pattern is nostalgic, not new.
3. Good UX Doesn’t Equal Novel Architecture
Next.js delivers great UX. But so did SSR apps in PHP and Django.
Fast loads. Simple debugging. Clear server-client boundaries.
Today, we use streaming, suspense, manifests — all just to render HTML. Complexity has been repackaged as innovation.
4. Why PHP Is Mocked and Next.js Is Worshipped
PHP is dismissed as “legacy,” not because it failed, but because it isn’t trendy.
Next.js uses the same ideas, repackaged with TypeScript, JSX, and a DevRel army.
We’ve confused branding with progress.
5. Let’s Be Honest
Next.js isn’t bad. It’s powerful. It solves real problems. But it’s not a revolution.
It’s PHP with a cool hat.And maybe that’s fine — if we stop pretending it’s something more.
