Java Information Architecture
Posted by: Tom Rieke
Java is far more than a general-purpose, object-oriented software system created by Sun Microsystems in 1995. It is also a huge volcanic island that separates the Indian Ocean from the Java Sea. Java has more people than any other island in the world (130 million). Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital, in northwestern Java, is the world’s sixth largest metropolitan area (18.9 million people).
For more than 1,500 years, until the first Europeans (Portuguese) arrived in 1513, Java was a collection of Hindu kingdoms. In the ninth century, the king of Mataram in central Java near the Indian Ocean began construction of a huge temple devoted to Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. According to local legend, in 1006 a powerful earthquake and explosive eruption of nearby Merapi (mountain of fire) buried the temple in volcanic ash, where it remained until 1811, when it was “discovered” by British explorers. In the 20th century, it was mostly reconstructed, but it was damaged by another violent earthquake and Merapi eruption in 2006.
The main purpose of Prambanan was to tell stories. Very long, complex stories about the creator (Brahma), the sustainer (Vishnu), and the destroyer (Shiva), and hundreds of other deities and magic beings and evil spirits.
The entire complex and all the statues and carvings were formed from very hard, extremely heavy lava stone created by Merapi over the past 400,000 years. Some of the structures are unsafe to enter, because of earthquake damage. The three that are accessible contain stone carvings of holy personages.
Prambanan was designed by a series of highly skilled architects and artisans who told their stories in a vast, multi-level system of symbols, images, legends, and theology. It is one of the world’s most astounding achievements in analog information architecture.
The stories have evolved over many centuries throughout India and southeast Asia. One of the best known epics is the Ramayana, Rama’s incredible, magical quest to overcome evil and fulfill his destiny on earth. Today, his story is told in very complex dance performances and puppet plays in Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, and many other countries. And it is preserved in stone at Prambanan:
These images from Prambanan are on display in Ramayana Revisited: A Tale of Love & Adventure, a beautiful exhibition at Singapore’s Peranakan Museum.
So what’s the connection between Java (the powerful technology behind millions of interactive digital systems) and Java (the home of one of the world’s oldest and most influential civilizations)? Not much.
Eight hundred years after Prambanan was created, Dutch colonizers started growing coffee trees in what they called the Dutch East Indies. Three hundred years later, this is the official Sun Microsystems explanation of the software’s name:
“The name was chosen during one of several brainstorming sessions held by the Java software team. We were aiming to come up with a name that evoked the essence of the technology - liveliness, animation, speed, interactivity, and more. “Java” was chosen from among many, many suggestions. The name is not an acronym, but rather a reminder of that hot, aromatic stuff that many programmers like to drink lots of.”
