Security of Java takes a dangerous turn for the worse, experts say

[mthrockmor]

So I use Windows 7. I'm sure I have both Java and JavaScript. If I am reading this correctly I should remove Java from my computer. JavaScript I can leave?

Would it be best to remove both? With those gone should I replace them with something else or will Windows 7 automatically compensate in some manner?

Thanks in advance!
Boo

[Vulcan]

You of all people should appreciate the fact Java is a huge security problem which cannot be made secure.  Yes, I would rather go back to pure HTML, than run an ill designed implementation prone to unlimited exploits.

Yes, but so is flash, so is HTML5, so is just about any web browser.

[Brooke]

Too many web pages rely on scripting to remove JavaScript, in my opinion.

Java is different.  Not many sites at all require that, and these days you can easily disable it from running on your browser (in the Java control panel).  I'm not keen on enabling it on my browser except for particular sites (like financial ones with involved financial tools).

I love Java as a programming language, though.  We use it as the main language for code that runs the industrial instruments our company builds, where a single crash of the application costs hundreds to thousands of dollars in wasted materials and 1-3 days delay in production.  It's used on machines in our own production facility and customer sites in various other countries.  It's been great for that.

[715]

Java is a program that gets installed on your computer and can be removed by the Uninstall routine on Control Panel (Add/Remove Programs... or at least that is correct for XP).  Doing so might disable some programs that depend on Java.  You can also leave Java on the computer and turn off Java in your browser options so that it doesn't get utilized for web pages.

Javascript is part of your browser and you can enable or disable it within the browsers options section.  Some browsers, like Opera, allow the user to turn on Javascript only for chosen websites and leave it off for the rest.  On Firefox you can use the NoScript addon to do the same thing.   Many web pages will sort of work with Javascript off.  This forum, for example, will allow posting but none of the buttons or smilies in the editing page will work with Javascript off and you have to enter the []code yourself.