The idea behind java is excellent in that Sun
Microsystems makes their java open-source and available to the
whole world to play with, so it isn't like some evil conspiracy.
Now, for the problem.  Java, as is used in web sites, as well as
javascript, is sort of a whole new way of doing things.  You must
have a piece of software on your client's computer called a JVM
or Java Virtual Machine.  Think of a program that has certain
traits built in to it that runs on your client's computer that,
in itself, is a sort of computer.  Theoretically, you can have a
JVM that runs on a Mac, a P.C with Windows, or any number of UNIX
platforms.  This "machine" can make pictures appear on your
screen, music play from your sound system and even read and write
files.

        When one accesses a web site using javascript, the script
tells your JVM to do this or that task such as to show a picture
on the screen and then make it move while your sound card plays a
.wav file of an engine running or maybe some other sound.

        If your web browser doesn't have a JVM built in to it or
the JVM doesn't understand the dialect of the web site, then
absolutely nothing useful will happen.  You will just sit there
and wonder, "What's going on?"

        Where it has really gone wrong is that Microsoft has
tried to establish their brand of java that has little things
stuck in there that are not part of the open-source version that
Sun wants the world to use.  There was even a court skirmish a
year or two ago in which Sun basically prevented Microsoft from
using the steaming coffee cup logo for java if MS was going to
bastardize java in this manner.

        Now, the problem is that certain critical operations such
as the ability to navigate the web site and make selections
(click on) things has been java-ised so that if your browser
doesn't speak the language, you get links that don't work or even
links you can't see.  That's basically what's wrong with java
right now.

        Some sites are perfectly accessible and still use java
all over the place.  The difference is that they don't use it in
critical operations such as displaying text on the screen and
receiving commands from the remote customer.  The java simply
makes the site more fun to look at or listen to for those with
browsers that can do the job.  If your browser can't, you still
get to do what you probably came there to do in the first place.

        I welcome any java experts to jump in here and tell me I
am wrong about some part of this explanation.  I have played with
java a bit and read the tutorials on Sun's web site, but I am, by
no means, a java guru.  It still looks a lot like C to me.:-)

Martin McCormick 405 744-7572   Stillwater, OK
OSU Center for Computing and Information services Data Communications Group

"Linda L. Walling" writes:
>I know about some problems with Java, but I'm not familiar with the problems
>it creates for accessibility. Can someone enlighten me?  Thanks     Linda

Barrier-free Web Design Online Workshop
Workshop starts June 7, 2000
http://www.rit.edu/~easi/workshops/easiweb.htm