>On Tue, 3 Aug 2004 20:33:10 -0500, David Phillips wrote:

>> Java isn't free.  I can't install it on Debian or FreeBSD without
>> jumping through hoops.  There are plenty of other languages freely
>> available for me to use, so why should I care about Java?

"John T. Hoffoss" wrote:

>Java is a language, and is free. A JDK from Sun requires hoops. (iirc,
>a web form) The Blackdown JDK does not, though it isn't GPL'd.
></nitpick>

If Java is free, it would be GPL (you could fork the source, etc.),
most GNU/Linux distributions would install it and it would be
immediately ready to use after the GNU/Linux installation completed.
Sorry, free doesn't imply useful.  I take it all back except GPL, since
free == GPL (free is a synonym for GPL).

You need a dose of GNU (http://www.gnu.org/) to help you understand that
your proprietary lock-in tools will never let you be free.  Who controls
the Java specification?  If you can build a better Java will Sun allow
that?

------

Kaffee is interesting, but its not Java!

>> And don't get me started on actually using an application written in
>> Java.  rpgoldman summed it up nicely.

>No comment :) I've had some great experiences, and I've had some nasty
>ones. Same as anything else.

"If you used the proper tool for the task at hand, all your experiences
would be great ones." -- a Guru's Guru Meditation _____

Sincerely,

Ken Fuchs <kfuchs at winternet.com>

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