I am trying to learn Java, in my free time. I even taught a one-semester course, at one time; but I need to learn some more to do serious development. Mainly, learn a lot more about building a good visual interface. Nowadays that would be the Swing framework for Web applications, or (forgot the name - some other framework) for Web applications. Also, connecting to a database. And what they say, "putting everything together" - combining different aspects to create a complete application.
I am not so much interested in dotnet; not so much because Java is freeware, and dotnet is more commercially oriented; more because dotnet is oriented towards Windows, and if I do learn a new language, I want one that was developed from the start for multiple platforms.
Same sentiments that I have... but... some articles are painting a deja-vu scenario with Oracle... they might do a "M$ milking and killing VFP" trick as well to Java and MySQL...
