Monday, January 14, 2013

Zero Day for Java - time to change strategy and kill JavaSE

Hopefully Oracle will finally look at Java with this zero day exploit and realise that part of the reason for the issue is the kitchen sink approach taken by the Java leadership at Sun and now Oracle.  It adds needless complexity and with that adds security risks.  A better approach would be to recognise that Java is a platform in itself and that the core of Java is extremely small.  Making this small core effective and secure would be a much simpler challenge than the complete mess that Java SE has become.

JavaSE has no point in the modern technology space, its a catch-all developer and desktop edition which has so many things that people don't use that they outnumber the things that people do use.  Its sad to see Java fall from the position it has held, if it had fallen due to better competition and alternatives then this would be a reason to cheer.  That its fallen due to rank bad management and direction is a cause for complaint.

JavaSE has no purpose, its time is finished. Rather than extending the failed strategy of JavaSE 6 into 7, 8 and beyond its time for the Java community and particularly those looking at cloud, mobile and the enterprise to take a new strategic direction.  One that encourages innovation rather than stifling it and which goes back to the concept of security being baked in.

Lets kill JavaSE so that Java can get on with being awesome again.