alt Hacker NewsI never thought of Java being the 'move fast ~and break things~' alternative over .NET, but Java has a faster release schedule to get features out sooner.
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Move fast and break things does not describe Java well at all.
Their process is still very deliberate, they go to some lengths to avoid getting it wrong when they add new features to the standard. New features have to get through their preview phase successfully before becoming final. [0]
They're also pretty committed to not breaking existing source code or bytecode.
[0] https://openjdk.org/jeps/12 JEP 12: Preview Features
Seriously, how many are using always the latest releases of Java instead the LTS ones? With LTS ones you have ~2/3 years between the versions.
> Java has a faster release schedule to get features out sooner
While still being behind on most features?
I don't think modern Java is a 'move fast ~and break things~' environment. It's a comparatively stable platform with an enviable focus on backwards compatibility. The maintainers have talked about "last mover's advantage" when it comes to introducing new language features. Java has a checkered history when it comes to novel programming language features, so I think this is good.
Granted, the maintainers are more inclined to deprecate and remove parts of the API than has historically been the case but it is mostly obsolete things like applets. And you may need to keep a close eye on runtime flags and their effects.