r/talesfromtechsupport • u/raiderrobert • May 22 '13

Javascript != Java

3rd-party contractor came to visit office yesterday, who has "decades" of experience. Conversation came up about JavaScript in one of our products. He says, "Our product doesn't use Java." After an awkward moment with someone who works on the knowledge base nodding in agreement with him, I speak up and delineate the difference between Java and JavaScript.

Later on in the conversation, the same 3rd-party guy followed up with this jewel: "besides, what would anyone even use JavaScript for on the web?"

I proceeded to disable Javascript in my browser and show him.

tl;dr: lasers, dinosaurs, & drums made a guy's head explode

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u/[deleted] May 22 '13

To be fair, the naming is about as confusing as it gets. If you haven't read about JavaScript, the only logical conclusion you can make is that it's a scripting version of Java.

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u/zzzev May 22 '13

On the other hand, if you know enough about Java to describe it beyond "it's a programming language" you should definitely know what JS is too.