Why not Java for web development?
People do use Java for web dev. Google uses it almost exclusively as far as I know. You will find that Java is in fact very prominent in large companies.
What's wrong with Play?
Nothing is "wrong" with Play
You just don't hear about it as much because you read HN. HN is about startups. Startups like to be on the bleeding edge and boast very rapid development cycles. Java is just not conducive to this. (I would like to note that I have never personally used Play) As far as I know, Play has not gained the traction that other event driven frameworks have. This has a lot to do with the fact that Play didn't really start to come to light until after Node.JS started to explode and server-side javascript became heralded as the second coming of Christ (by some, not most).
And why are all these companies ignoring the fact that there is a shortage of Ruby and Python developers because most college students are learning Java?
Because it doesn't matter what the college students are learning. Java is a good language to teach OOP with. But that doesn't mean it is always the best tool for the job.
Very few of these colleges have a single class that teaches web development. For someone who wants to pursue a career in web development, this is highly discouraging because I feel I am not learning the technologies I need for a job (such as Ruby and Python).
You aren't learning them. Just like you probably won't learn the technologies you need for the next job you want at your current job. Welcome to development. Never stop learning. You stop learning, you're dead. I'm serious. Who knows what the cool thing will be five years from now? Doesn't matter, you're going to have to learn it anyway.
I would like to elaborate further, but don't have the time at the moment. Please feel free to ask me anything else you're curious about.
Comments
Why not Java for web development? People do use Java for web dev. Google uses it almost exclusively as far as I know. You will find that Java is in fact very prominent in large companies.
What's wrong with Play? Nothing is "wrong" with Play You just don't hear about it as much because you read HN. HN is about startups. Startups like to be on the bleeding edge and boast very rapid development cycles. Java is just not conducive to this. (I would like to note that I have never personally used Play) As far as I know, Play has not gained the traction that other event driven frameworks have. This has a lot to do with the fact that Play didn't really start to come to light until after Node.JS started to explode and server-side javascript became heralded as the second coming of Christ (by some, not most).
And why are all these companies ignoring the fact that there is a shortage of Ruby and Python developers because most college students are learning Java? Because it doesn't matter what the college students are learning. Java is a good language to teach OOP with. But that doesn't mean it is always the best tool for the job.
Very few of these colleges have a single class that teaches web development. For someone who wants to pursue a career in web development, this is highly discouraging because I feel I am not learning the technologies I need for a job (such as Ruby and Python). You aren't learning them. Just like you probably won't learn the technologies you need for the next job you want at your current job. Welcome to development. Never stop learning. You stop learning, you're dead. I'm serious. Who knows what the cool thing will be five years from now? Doesn't matter, you're going to have to learn it anyway.
I would like to elaborate further, but don't have the time at the moment. Please feel free to ask me anything else you're curious about.