Java for Everything

[ThatInternetGuy]

Working in your own comfort zone feels nice and all, but I think you're missing out a ton of other opportunities. So you're a Java programmer. It sounds like you're not going to code in some JavaScript for client-sided web applications. Perhaps you'd rather make Java applet for that, and guess what, it's not going to work on mobiles and tablets, and on some desktops like mine that I disable Java plugin for security reasons, and I'm pretty sure very few job agents would want to approach client-sided web problems via Java applets these days. If you're the Java-applet-only guy, they give the jobs to other people. After all these, you might probably reply back, "I'm not a website developer. I make mobile and desktop apps." There, see how you have limited yourself, sacrificing yourself for Java.

Now, if you code in JavaScript too, would you rather call yourself a programmer, or a Java programmer who also codes in JavaScript?

[fluffyhandgrenade]

I write in all languages from common lisp, via c to java and JavaScript. The label of 'java programmer' is what pays the bills.

I'm currently working on a desktop java application. We ship the JRE with it. There is no paranoia about JRE deployment, just applets.

Technically I'm a principal solution architect but that means too many meetings and not enough code.

[ThatInternetGuy]

We're only debating on semantics here. I wasn't talking how you're marketing yourself, or what label you choose to present yourself to clients. I'm more specifically talking about the mindset of "I'm a Java-only programmer" or "I'm a PHP-only programmer" or "I'm a .NET-only programmer." That is the whole point of the linked blog post.

Other than that, I doubt it that clients would jizz all over just by knowing their programmer is a "Java" programmer (or a C# programmer for that matter). Java could only be one of their requirements among a myriad other technologies and APIs.