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Java Creator James Gosling Hired At Google

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the write-your-own-ticket dept.

jfruhlinger writes "Some months after leaving Oracle in a huff, father of Java James Gosling has joined Google. It's not clear what his job responsibilities will be there, but given some of his past statements about Google projects — that Android has no adult supervision, for instance — it will be interesting to see what develops."

5 of 229 comments (clear)

  1. Really? by diskofish · · Score: 3, Informative
    Gosling is pretty detached from reality and he says a lot of crazy stuff. I can see why he left Oracle (or was forced out). Remember what he said about C#? C# is a very sucessful language and in some areas, more sucessful than Java. Gosling on C#:

    We were panicked about C# a while ago. And we've gotten somewhat more relaxed about it. It's certainly something to be concerned about, given the amount of resources Microsoft can bring to bear. But I've had conversations with developers. It has not been that big an issue with developers. It's actually been much more a public relations issue than a reality issue. Read more: http://news.cnet.com/2008-1082-817522.html#ixzz1HumJH5sb

    1. Re:Really? by Rary · · Score: 4, Informative

      That article is dated in early 2002. Most developers I know were quite unsure of C# and .NET in general in 2002. The consulting company I work for planned to launch an internal C# project in late 2002. We use internal projects as a training opportunity, so technology is chosen based on what skills would be most beneficial for our consultants to have experience with. Just before the project started, management decided to switch to Java because it was perceived to be a more valuable skill. In the years that have passed since then, .NET has caught up, so today we do about as much .NET work as Java work. But back then, it was still the new kid on the block, and most weren't sure what to think of it.

      --

      "You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war." -- Albert Einstein

    2. Re:Really? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      I think he made it clear that Oracle significantly cut his salary. Most employees would leave for greener pastures in that situation.

      James Gosling also said that his position was lower in the company (in spite of holding the same job title), that Oracle micromanages everyone and doesn't allow them to make any important decisions, and that they made him into little more than a cheerleader for Java. So by his account, things sucked all the way around.

  2. Google's arsenal of programming language people by D+H+NG · · Score: 5, Informative

    James Gosling - Java Guido van Rossum - Python Ken Thompson - C, Go Joshua Bloch - Java

  3. Re:Google v. Oracle - Solved by StormReaver · · Score: 3, Informative

    Gosling will be able to easily ensure that Google's Android code base is free of anything Oracle's disputing.

    Which changes nothing. Odds are that Android was already carefully screened to be free of Oracle contamination, but Oracle sued anyway. That's just Oracle culture.