TIOBE index shows it in decline. It peaked in 2009 and has fallen since then. It has fallen from 1.8% peak to under 1% (0.93%). Which, even if it was still 1.8% would be terrible for an almost 20 year old language.

I'm not sure how a language that is in decline, and hasn't grown much in its life, isn't a dying language (I'd argue dead at under 1% after that long).

> I'm not interested in being right on HN.

So you show up, call out other posters for having a "factless debate," to which they respond with facts. They then ask you for the same and instead of providing them to prove your point, you're suddenly not interested in a discussion on HN? That seems like bad faith posting to me.