$secret was a light hearted variable name, it should have just been $message. Obviously Bruce Wayne isn't Batman, how could he possibly keep up crime fighting at night while tending to the affairs of the Wayne foundation? (a Simpsons reference if you're unaware ;). Your point is valid however. See further down the thread were 20 or so paths are supposed to be getting passed to 50 different child scripts, and the suggestion using config files rather than passing anything in this manner.