Node.js seems to be becoming a PHP successor. In regards of easy web development. With JavaScript you can both write for the front-end and the back-end. One language to rule them all. Very appealing to newcomers who want to learn webdev.
I agree, the one issue i have with node.js is handling security. PHP has had many years to become exploited and matured because of that. node.js don't have broad adoption yet and thus haven't attracted the same amount of hackers.
We could hope Node becomes such a ubiquitous solution, but the love HN is no great predictor of the future. Often it seems if the early adopters of HN love something, it is doomed. It's got to grab the middle of the bell curve's attention and drag the tail of the HN crowd to it kicking and screaming.
