>>AFAIK, neither the current versions of Netscape nor IE support the Java 2 spec (which is Java 1.3, I think).
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Tom,
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>I always look at the bright side. It is "cross platform"! Now that says it all!

< g > And you don't have to worry about installs! (Unless, of course, you want to do something that requires the runtime, in which case, you've got to download and install it. That could be problematical, if the user doesn't have adminstrative rights on the Win2K Pro box they're using.< bg >)

>A real joke at the time mentioned was the president of the user group and a friend of mine got a job as a Java Programmer. This was a time when Java was "a solution looking for a problem". HP had stated they would in no way use Java! Guess who my friend went to work for? Yep - HP.

Figures or to quote Michael Jordan, "Never say never!"

>I would love to write about user group meetings I have been to here in Silicon Valley - it would read like a joke book. Just thinking of Netscape and the Linux user group in Mountain View, just North of San Jose. They are a riot - open source demi gods and all.

< Shudder >

>Some of the user group meetings are a clear indication that programmers have deep psychological problems. Those most in need IMO are some of the Phd’s that have been featured speakers at Netscape/Linux user group meetings. If as software developers we gave away all our code as advocated by some, how do we exist? To my question they gave no answer. This is one meeting you do not want anyone to know you have anything to do with any Microsoft product.

I suppose that they have a rack and iron maiden around to punish such heretics.:-)

>Now, if I were a Visual Basic programmer (I am, along with many other languages) and attended a Visual FoxPro meeting, should the word get out about my VB background, I would have two dozen eager Visual FoxPro members trying to "show me the light". That is a very different experience from the Linux user group meetings.

Having worked in more than a couple myself, then only time I'm tempted to "show someone the light", is when they're not using the right tool.< s >