The Java programming language is 30!
https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/23/30_years_ago_java_arrived/
I first heard about Java very soon after it was announced, probably in 1995, when a Sun engineer gave a talk at HP Labs in Bristol.
However, I didn't actually start using Java until 2004. "Struts", and similar weirdness.
We had a brief foray into the cul-de-sac of Applets (running Java UI within a web browser); this was, unfortunately, extremely slow, using an external plug-in. Modern browswers could probably make a decent go at this if they tried again, though in practice that won't now happen.
I'm still programming in Java on the back-end, mostly using Spring Boot. And having to fight the awfulness of JavaScript / TypeScript for front-end work. That, therefore, qualifies me as a 'full-stack' developer nowadays (albeit mostly retired).
I know that Java programming is derided by the glitterati, but it is a useful workhorse which will be around for a while yet.
