Re: The Joy of Java

[Scott Brickner <sjb@universe.digex.net>]

sameer@c2.org writes:
>> I go further. Java, as envisioned, cannot be made secure. It is too
>> powerful a language. Furthermore, it is unnecessary for the tasks that
>> it is used for, which are basically adding fancy wacky graphics and
>> simple applications and such to web pages.
>> 
>
>	Even though that is all it is used for now, I think it was
>*intended* to be used for more.

True.  It's still lacking a couple of (non-language) features.  The
most important (and most cpunks relevant) is a mechanism to pay people
to run programs for you.  This sort of thing is dangerous without a
safe environment.  If it was safe to do so, I can see about two hundred
PowerPC systems from where I sit that are idle 90% or more.  As more
users become permanently connected to the net (cable modems and such),
there will be *millions* of computers with a little processing power
each that are available for distributed tasks.

The next generation of "Toy Story" just might be done in near real-
time.