Laracasts helped, but does not account for the popularity of Laravel. There are new developers entering the scene every day, and there's nothing wrong with Laracasts, it is a great resource. There's a lot of free content there, too, so subscriptions aren't the only factor.
Indeed Laracast is a great resource that delivery both knowledge and quality. However, all the courses are paid and I quote from their FAQ page:
Are any of the videos free?
Of course! Truthfully, I'd love for all of the content to be free; however, the time investment (infrastructure cost) is considerable. A small monthly fee allows me to dedicate as much energy as possible into providing the best PHP and Laravel content on the web.
The discussion forum is accessible to the public on the other hand.
Edit:
You can find some free courses and previews in Laracast.
Indeed, I've checked again and there's some free courses and previews. What got me that is not obvious when you check the current website and FAQ. It clearly state that it's subscription based.
Could you clarify how the FAQ I quoted says there's a free content? here's another quotation from Laracast's FAQ
How much is Laracasts, and what do you offer?
Laracasts follows a subscription model. $15 a month gives you access to the entire catalog of videos, as well as all new content that is released each month.
Laracasts helped, but does not account for the popularity of Laravel. There are new developers entering the scene every day, and there's nothing wrong with Laracasts, it is a great resource. There's a lot of free content there, too, so subscriptions aren't the only factor.
Indeed Laracast is a great resource that delivery both knowledge and quality. However, all the courses are paid and I quote from their FAQ page:
The discussion forum is accessible to the public on the other hand.
Edit:
You can find some free courses and previews in Laracast.
That was not always the case, thanks for educating me. I still love ol' Jeffrey.
Nah, Mazen is wrong. Even the FAQ he quoted says there is free content.
Open up an incognito window or log out of your account and you'll find plenty of courses to watch for free.
Indeed, I've checked again and there's some free courses and previews. What got me that is not obvious when you check the current website and FAQ. It clearly state that it's subscription based.
Could you clarify how the FAQ I quoted says there's a free content? here's another quotation from Laracast's FAQ
The first FAQ you linked asks "is there any free content?" and the answer is "Of course!" aka "yes, there is free content."
It then says that the author wishes ALL the content could be free, but he charges for some of it because he needs to pay the bills.
Cool! Thanks for the clarification. I thought that 'Of course!' was part of his wish.