No, this is not a joke.

Here are my thoughts about the "HTML is not a programming language" recurrent theme.

↓ 1/5

This question is controversial not because people care about HTML but because it is used as a proxy to classify their worth.

If HTML is not a programming language, then the people working with HTML must not be real programmers, right?

↓ 2/5

This is demeaning and completely unhelpful for those who are starting and looking to find a community.

Instead of drawing lines, we should be welcoming those who want to join us. We need more programmers, coders, developers, or whatever else you want to call them!

↓ 3/5

This argument is fueled by insecure people that believe in their unexistent superiority.

There's no special ritual to become a programmer. No specific things you must do or tools you have to use.

Nobody owns the title, and nobody needs to allow you in the club.

↓ 4/5

And what's even funnier: answering whether HTML is a programming language or not is completely uninteresting and inconsequential.

HTML will continue to be the Internet's language, and people will keep making money using it.

5/5