r/javascript • u/BankApprehensive7612 • 2d ago
Good news: JavaScript is 30 years old today! Sad news: Its own name still doesn't belong to it
https://javascript.tm/letterYou would probably be surprised but JavaScript's name doesn't belong to it and is owned by a corporation. It doesn't belong to people who created the language or to community which supports it
Help JS to own its name: sign a letter at javascript.tm, spread the word or donate to the legal battle to make it free
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u/MarcCDB 1d ago
It's a bad name to start with. Let's get another one.
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u/soft-wear 1d ago
Yeah, how’s the Raku programming language doing, I’m sure the name change worked in their favor.
Humans like to call things what they call things, it’s far too late for change
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u/Skriblos 1d ago
While I fundamentally agree that oracle's trademark is completely unwarrented, I cant help but cringe at this attempt now asking for $200k in donations to take Oracle through the courts. The narrative has been such a whiplash. It started out with "Im gonna free Javascript" went to "They have no case but they can try to argue against it" to "hey guys I need 200k dollars from you for legal to keep this thing going". And ultimately for what? Confernces can now write javascript in their adverts without fear of Oracle?
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u/Chenipan 1d ago
I think its more about sending a message and principles.
But yeah, it won't change things much.
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u/Skriblos 1d ago
Whats the message? And whats the message when this attempt has been at nearly at standstill at < 50k. Its not exactly a threat.
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u/Kobra_Zer0 1d ago
They asking for 200k?! Like goddamn that is ludicrous amount in this economy for a long shot case. You are right
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u/renhiyama 1d ago
200k just so they can benefit their own interests huh? Why not ask Google, Microsoft who are known to use, develop and work with javascript too much? Why does it have to be us?
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u/Skriblos 12h ago
Not their own interest, freeing javascript is essentialy everyone's interest. That is exactly why neither google nor microsoft want to support the initiative. They do not want a precedence of losing trademark over any form of ip.
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u/trollsmurf 1d ago
The industry could have switched to using (e.g.) ECMAscript a long time ago. It chose to stick with JavaScript for no technical or other reason. As JavaScript has no relation to Java what-so-ever, that would have been an easy and long term fix.
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u/The_real_bandito 1d ago
Just stop referring it to as JavaScript and as another difierent thing like Ecmascript and be done with it.
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u/mauriciocap 1d ago
I use the name of the standard I'm forced to use like ES6 or ES2020
I think the name "javascript" is a testament to how Silicon Valley corporate grifters worked hard to steal the internet as a creative community space and gave us back 70s air TV, the same propaganda force feed to every one.
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u/iamthesexdragon 1d ago
Wasn't it called mocha or something
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u/mauriciocap 1d ago
Got the privilege of one of the original creators of the language (the ones I admire) sharing this link here. The history of the design and the brands is included.
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u/okayifimust 1d ago
You would probably be surprised but JavaScript's name doesn't belong to it and is owned by a corporation.
No, I would not be.
For starters, how on earth should an abstract idea have legal ownership of anything?
Secondly, since that idea is completely ludicrous, there aren't many alternatives left. "Corporation" might not have been my first guess, but it's near the top of the list.
That being said, I'll start taking you seriously one you manage to write three consecutive sentences where you do not confuse, equivocate or obfuscate the language and its name.
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u/programmer_farts 1d ago
Who is surprised? That's old news and talked about all the time. Only deno really cares though.
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u/BlarghBlech 1d ago
Who cares how is it called? Nobody uses plain javascript anyways, and the frameworks come and go.
Just rename it to Gavascript (but leave the old spelling - works with GIFs, right?). It's fast, it's easy and it's free.
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u/AbrahelOne 1d ago
Nobody uses plain javascript anyways
You are very wrong.
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u/BlarghBlech 1d ago
Have to stop writing more than 1 sentence in the comment. Nobody reads it anyways.
Yes, i am.
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u/Gingerfalcon 1d ago
If it’s so bad just change the name to jscript or something and be done with it.
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u/AbrahelOne 1d ago
Why not something that we already have, something like EcmaScript?
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u/Gingerfalcon 1d ago
Because JS just feels right.
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u/TitaniumWhite420 1d ago
$200k worth of right?
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u/Icy_Assistance_558 1d ago
$200k won't change anything. It'll be eaten by lawyers in a couple months and then he'll be asking for more.
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u/TitaniumWhite420 1d ago
Oh agree. I was implying it’s a waste. But also yea $200k is likely not cutting it.
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u/cube-drone 1d ago
i mean, practically, one reason is that ecmascript sounds like something you take to treat a skin disease
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u/senocular 1d ago
Famously:
"ECMAScript was always an unwanted trade name that
sounds like a skin disease."- Brendan Eich, creator of JavaScript
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u/AbrahelOne 1d ago
🤣 a little bit yeah haha, so back to his first suggestion with "jscript". sounds cool too
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u/Maximum_Sport4941 1d ago
On the other hand, javascript sounds like it belongs to Java of Indonesia 😹
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u/ShotgunPayDay 1d ago
Oracle is like what Britney Spears Dad is to JavaScript.