[ohf]

Java references are closer to C++ references than anything else. They're like pointers until you access/call them, at which point they're just objects. C++ references are identical, but the syntax is a bit more explicit.

It is a funny language feature to have when you think about it; it just so happens to be useful. References and pointers are distinct in languages that have both (C++), so not mixing the terms between languages is helpful. If Java programmers started referring to their variables as "pointers," because internally, that's more representative of what they are, I'd be a bit irked.