[jiggy2011]

FWIW Java doesn't have any licensing fees to use for web apps, there are plenty of OSS frameworks available also.

Compiled languages have never been super popular for web development. Before Python/Ruby it was PHP/Perl that were the driving force outside of "enterprise". I guess enterprise adopts Java and .Net mainly because it is what most college grads come out of school knowing well, also the type safety may be advantageous when building big systems across hundreds of developers with ranging skill levels.

I think the main reason for dynamic languages being popular on the web is that the "Save Text file -> Press F5 in browser" and deployment by copying text files to an FTP server feels intuitive , has a quick feedback loop and a lower learning curve. Adding a compile & linking step just feels like it adds friction.

I worked with developer with a design & some PHP background on a small project that involved Java and he really struggled to understand why I was messing around with tomcat and .jar files rather than just copying .java files to the webroot.