Languages vs. Platforms?

andyfsu99 inputs: "Recently I've noticed the increasing confusion between Java the language and Java the platform. Recruiters and project managers routinely ask for a numeric "rating" of a developer's Java skills. Do they mean Java the language (OO concepts, syntax, libraries, etc)? Or Java the platform (EJB, JCA, JSP, etc)? How do you answer this question? Clearly, Sun is pushing the platform definition. How will this effect the evolution of emerging techologies like C# and .NET? Will major new languages be forever coupled with platforms moving forward?"