3
I appreciate the desire to embrace progress, but as Vaughan points out, there are some user-centric issues to consider before developers force the latest version of PHP or MySQL on anyone.
I think it is a particular problem for people in my situation who are running live sites on a VPS. Most VPS operators are freelance designers or small web design businesses. I suspect few have the luxury of an experienced server technician on the payroll. I CAN upgrade PHP and MySQL myself, but it's a daunting shell-access task not to be undertaken lightly. My VPS provider doesn't offer an upgrade service and when I asked about support they literally said 'you're on your own'.
A more significant issue is that I cannot afford to lose the dozens of customers that rely on PHP 4 applications just because I want to make one product work a little faster. The benefits of PHP 5 don't out-weigh the fact that sticking with PHP 4 is easier, cheaper and more profitable.
I do however think there is a gap in the market for a third-party PHP and MySQL upgrade service for VPS owners. I would consider using such as service if it was guaranteed (i.e. the person performing the upgrade will not 'give up' if something goes wrong and leave you with a dead server.)
A thread is for life. Not just for Christmas.