News and commentary from the cross-platform scripting community.
	RE: WHAT JAVA IS SAYING

Sent:	5/28/96; 2:57:32 AM
From:	lmd@tiac.net (Laurens Dorsey)

The _current_ state of java is one of tactical retreat from the ideal of RPC you outline, but which _is_ the expressed goal of the sun developers, yes? (So far as I can determine, tho, java applets cannot currently open sockets, for instance, except on their source machine, nor can they manage file i/o, etc. java agent apps might be able to do more, but so might an agent written in any language (e.g., bots)) Let me know if I'm wrong or if the situation has changed.

The net was conceived as means of communication, which is the envelope we all want to push; but it is in fact a kind of _broadcast_ communication, which is the part that's causing a more than a little ambivalence, since we can't control who might be listening and who might decide to respond.

So, the current desire to provide "secure" channels of inet transactions suggests a parallel with cellular comms. People wanted the convenience of broadcasting from their cars, but they wanted security as well. So the FCC forbade the production and sale of scanners capable of receiving cellular bands. (Right, sure, that'll do it.)

Unfortunately, such a dimwitted response will hardly suffice in a situation involving Trojan horses. So, can you have "secure," broadcast channels?

A non-issue? A temporary glitch? Will be hanging on your dispatches from JavaOne.