[cyberp]

Posted at the article, but the blog is censored ("Comment is awaiting moderation").

On a high level, Java vs Ruby/Python is a question of suitability to purpose.

Java is a great language for large teams of incompetent programmers. You will not be able to find competent programmers to code up the business logic for: Paying with a credit card. Going to the emergency room. Adjusting your 401k. Using your insurance card at the dentist. Filling a prescription.

That code is mindnumbingly boring, and has few technical challenges beyond sheer size and complexity.

With incompetent programmers, you want a B&D language -- Java forces object oriented. It forces a single object oriented paradigm. It forces a set of standard libraries. Etc. It makes it as hard as possible for programmers to shoot themselves in the foot, and it minimizes learning curve to get up to speed, making programmers as interchangeable as possible. If you've got a team of half-wits trying to write an employee management system, that's exactly what you want. The problem falls well within the limitations of the system. If you want to do something more complex -- a startup solving a problem that's never been solved before -- and you have a team of hotshot programmers, you really do want a less constricting and more flexible language.

COBOL is obsolete. Java vs. Python/Ruby vs. LISP/Scheme is a question of suitability to purpose -- primarily problem difficulty and team composition.

[jacques_chester]

> Posted at the article, but the blog is censored ("Comment is awaiting moderation").

That's not censorship. That's the default setting for Wordpress blogs.

[jjohns]

Didn't see any comment, unless you put it on Jonathan's blog.

[jacques_chester]

Well, like I said, Wordpress defaults to placing all comments from new commenters in moderation.

It's a flawless test for internet tinfoilery; such people immediately allege scandalous CENSORSHIP when the software mindlessly does what it always does.

[exabrial]

I don't censor comments on my blog. If you knew me personally, you would understand how much I value civil liberties such as freedom of speech (public/private forms), freedom to drink, religious liberty, voting rights, public hearings, gun ownership, etc. This is so important to me, that I wrote a comments policy page: http://thecodemechanic.wordpress.com/my-policy-on-comments/

Despite this though, I don't see your comment awaiting moderation. Can you resubmit it? Thank you! -Jonathan S. Fisher