[probizzle]

Indeed, if you can use php nuke to hack up something thats meets your needs, more power to you.

I think the complaints people have had arise from those sites that are just slapped together using an available cms. Not many changes are made, and the website has no trace or originality.

However, if you tailor it to your needs, there is nothing wrong.
The point of doing anything is to learn, and writing a website in vi may just be doing tedious work you already know how to do. Editing a cms such as php nuke to fit your specific needs can be as big a learning experience.