[NTLUG:Discuss] Java/Linux versus school teacher.

[Leroy Tennison]

Robert Citek wrote:
> steve wrote:
>   
>> Do we have any Java/Linux guru's in the house?
>>
>> My son is learning Java in high school - inevitably they use
>> Windows machines - but it's Java - which is portable - so it
>> doesn't matter a whole lot.  So my kid can use Linux to do
>> his homework without problems.
>>
>> ...mostly...
>>     
>
> What implementation and version of Java are they using on Windows?  What
> version of Windows?  What implementation and version of Java are you
> using on Linux?  What distro and version of Linux?
>
> You may be right about the Java question.  But I'm trying to imagine the
> next few steps.  If you are right, how are you going to present your
> results to the teacher?  What course of action would you like the
> teacher to take?
>
> Regards,
> - Robert
>
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>
>   
Am I missing something here?  I thought the promise of Java was "write 
once, run anywhere".  Yea, I know - marketing.  But still, this stuff is 
supposed to work in the real world and it's beginning to sound like 
running Java has a lot in common with visiting Las Vegas.  What's also 
disturbing is to see comments indicating that similar things may exist 
in C++.  Have we made programming languages so complex that we have 
almost guaranteed ourselves of "shooting ourself in the foot"?

I have to admit, I haven't been a big object-oriented fan, mainly 
because I've seen it implemented in scripting languages such as VB and 
OpenOffice macros.  In my opinion we've lost sight of the purpose: 
scripting and macro "languages" were intended to be relatively easy 
allowing someone with lesser training to do useful automation and, in 
the process, get a "big bang for the buck".  It seems that the "high 
priests of object oriented programming" have succeeded in depriving most 
people of that possibility any more.