
JavaScript's popularity appears to have peaked - lolptdr
http://www.javamagazine.mozaicreader.com/JanFeb2016#&pageSet=4&page=0&contentItem=0
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ry_ry
At risk of sounding overly cynical, Java-orientated article from the editor of
Java Magazine implies JavaScript's popularity will wane, making 2nd placed
Java it's heir apparent?

Seems a slightly predictable suggestion, given the context.

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KuhlMensch
Just to put in to words what I expect many are thinking:

Javascript is a spec, thus the rise (and fall) of transpiled languages is more
a testament inevitable and increasing utility of Javascript (you know, the
result of a passionate tryst between Brendan Eich and Netscape, in which Sun
looked on in the corner slowly smoking a ciggarette...).

 _ahem_

I guess I can see the eventual end of Javascript-only everywhere. If a
browser/device will run my coffeescript/dart as navtive, then suh-weet.

Anyway. I found it interesting how we interpret things differently. For
instance, to my mind the rise of Java on Github was more enterprise cautiously
leaving the their old-country (SVN) and following the hot-shit™ languages into
cloud based git. Rather than a new flowering of the language.

Gratz to the Java team for adding some functional stuff. But is it just me or
does this article have a HINT of: "Welp, we just killed Javascript - what will
Java dominate next?"

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hoodoof
I feel like JavaScript is just kicking the revs up to high speed. ES2015 is a
huge leap ahead for JavaScript and along with ReactJS actually makes
programming web front ends real fun instead of a major pain and chore.

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bdcravens
Most platforms continue to evolve and improve even after it peaks. ColdFusion
has a new release every couple of years, after all :-)

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carsongross
I have a joking-but-kind-of-serious theory that javascript popularity peaks at
about the same time as the market does: 2001 you had peak DHTML, 2008 you had
peak Web 2.0, now we have the SPA-pocalypse.

My joking-but-kind-of-serious explanation is that there is a common cause:
irrational optimism.

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urvader
Without any references to facts other than the writers own experience.

Any peak in popularity can not be found when you look at the actual numbers:
[http://githut.info](http://githut.info)

~~~
ktRolster
Looking at the numbers on a single repository website will give you lousy
data. You can see the same thing on Github: it became popular with the Ruby
community, so Ruby is one of the most popular languages there.

Open source websites are also problematic because they don't capture what a
lot of businesses are doing (which is Java, the replacement for COBOL).

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thecolorblue
> Looking at the numbers on a single repository website will give you lousy
> data.

But lousy data is better than no data at all.

~~~
ktRolster
Even Tiobe will give you better data than that

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aokyler
Does this not basically say that javascript is still being used but people are
opting to use transpiled siblings?

As far as I'm concerned we will still be adhering to all the core language
constructs for the most adopted interpreter until a viable ancestor arrives.

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koder2016
The ancestor is called WebAssembly. It would be simply crazy to bet one's
career on JS now. Pick a solid non-fringe functional language which compiles
to LLVM. It will run in browser in 2-3 years.

~~~
aokyler
I agree that javascript will be replaced in time, but that article in no way
asserts that javascript is declining in favor of WebAssembly. WebAssembly
shows promise, but it nowhere even near ready to begin mass adoption.

I have no issue with javascript fading away over time, that's just not what's
happening right now.

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vardump
So, what happens when you try to read that article without Javascript enabled?

> You must have JavaScript enabled to view digital editions.

I see.

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13of40
One problem with the TIOBE Index is that the data is tainted by all of
yesterday's web pages that nobody's bothered to take down yet. If you look at
Google Trends, for example, PowerShell has overtaken Perl in the last year or
two. TIOBE is still looking at the big corpus of Perl stuff from the early
2000's, placing it at #8, and says PowerShell isn't even in the top 50.

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nartz
Uh wait - there is a Java Magazine?? Editorials on just java? Mind blown.

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owenwil
Is this a parody?

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WalterSear
I had to check the date on the article to see if the web site was merely
antiquated, rather than ridiculous.

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dandare
What a horrible reading experience.

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marak830
Hmm the title interested me, but on my phone it tried to load an amazingly
laggy 3 column interface that frustrated me to try and read.

Shame.

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onion2k
If you're using a language based on it's popularity rather than it's utility
then you're doing it wrong.

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koder2016
Then most JS devs made a terrible mistake, because every blog post about it's
"merits" was praising it's ever growing popularity.

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onion2k
That means the authors of those blog posts have made the mistake of conflating
popularity with usefulness, but I don't think the problem necessarily extends
to "most JS developers".

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yugoja
Pretty biased obviously!

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Timethy
Is the reader written in Javascript? Very laggy on mobile.

~~~
dzhiurgis
Doesn't load on OS X Safari either: The Reader Bootstrap request generated an
error or timed out. See new window for details.

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slantaclaus
Thank fucking god

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draw_down
Oh.

