JCP

I guess that given what has happened the last months what has happened in the Java world it seems like finally the ember have ignited.

First Oracle sues Google

Then Apple drops Java

and finally one of the most important contributors and JCP EC members, Doug Lea leaves the JCP.

Im not including the fact that Sun/Oracle haven't managed to squeeze out a new Java release (JDK) from its hairy womb for almost 5 years. And the one that is worked on is been deferred to 2012.

I read the response from Henrik Ståhl, since it is my old colleague, my views might be slightly skewed. But I think I sense that he affirms my belief that Lea's response was one of haste. Now more than ever the JCP needs strong figures with strong ideas. I cannot find a single person right now in the EC. Which will fill Lea's shoes.

In fact, I don't think it is possible to develop software under the Committee form as it is done right now in Java. There is another software language being developed under a committee, C++ and look how great they are doing.

Instead it would have been better if Sun/Oracle chosen the Microsoft path. Microsoft assigned Anders Hjelsberg to be the dictator of C# and to some extent the CLR. And it is clearly visible in terms of the direction of the platform. When Java been bickering and missing the entire mulitcore train. The CLR have built-in parallel support for operating on datasets into the CLR. Java has spawned products like Scala, Clojure... But they are two many steps removed from the hardware to make the right decisions, like cache locality.

It would be better for Java if Oracle appointed an emperor of Java to rule the ecosystem and make the right decision.