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what was once free, now a subscription (Java)
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17-May-2019 2:40pm

Not everyone uses Java (application programming language that's been an industry standard for about 25 years), but I bet everyone reading this has used an application developed using Java. It was always free to use. Not any more, at least for "business" use. I post this as a record of what we already face as software users, and what is surely indicative of more to come.

I also thought it was interesting to see Oracle's license definition of "personal use""

“Personal Use” refers to an Individual's use of the Programs solely on a desktop or laptop computer under such Individual's control only to run Personal Applications.

“Personal Applications” refers to Applications designed for individual personal use only, such as games or personal productivity tools.


Here's more detail.

Important Oracle Java License Update
The Oracle Java License has changed for releases starting April 16, 2019.
The new Oracle Technology Network License Agreement for Oracle Java SE is substantially different from prior Oracle Java licenses. The new license permits certain uses, such as personal use and development use, at no cost -- but other uses authorized under prior Oracle Java licenses may no longer be available. Please review the terms carefully before downloading and using this product. An FAQ is available here.

Commercial license and support is available with a low cost Java SE Subscription.


Lastly, Google and Oracle have been locked in legal battle over Java for years, here's the latest. "Google filed a petition for writ of certiorari with the Supreme Court of the United States in January 2019 to challenge the two rulings that were made by the Appeals Court towards Oracle's favor. In its petition, Google centered their case on whether copyright extends to a software interface like an API, and whether the use of the Java API by Google fell within fair use as found at the jury trials." [Wikipedia]

19-May-2019 1:23pm

I thought a lot of applications both business and entertainment are moving away from Java?

19-May-2019 3:12pm

As for end users running Java applets in their web browsers, yes I think it is becoming less common. I use a feature with my Bank of America credit card (ShopSafe) which still requires Java, so I have to run Internet Explorer browser whenever I want to access it. The product that Oracle is now charging for (except personal use) is the JRE (Java Runtime Environment), which is not for writing programs, but just for executing them. Now that the ordinary user mostly no longer needs it, I guess that opened the door to charging the relatively few remaining business users who do.

Here's one ranking showing Java at number two in popularity among programming languages, other surveys show similar results.

http://pypl.github.io/PYPL.html

I've written a few programs in Java myself just to get a taste of it, but I'm old school - taught myself C back in the early 1980s, but mostly I used Perl, which despite its key role in developing web sites in the early days of the WWW, is now mostly considered a legacy language (but still in the top 20).

Java was one of the first widespread languages (along with C++) to support object oriented programming.

20-May-2019 6:40am

but I'm old school - taught myself C back in the early 1980s,


Me too. Started with BASIC and then graduated to C back in college :ugeek:

20-May-2019 8:03am

ATSMAN wrote:
but I'm old school - taught myself C back in the early 1980s, [to/quote]

Me too. Started with BASIC and then graduated to C back in college :ugeek:

I'm a VB gal myself.

23-May-2019 6:58am

[/quote] I'm a VB gal myself.[/quote]

Drake Tax Software is coded with Power Basic. On January 31, 2017, Adam Drake announced Drake Software had acquired the PowerBasic source code from PowerBasic, Inc., with the intention of updating and improving the functionality of the product
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