Patrick Naughton
Patrick Naughton | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Software developer |
| Known for | Co-creator of the Java programming language |
Patrick Naughton is an American software developer known for his role in creating the Java programming language and has a criminal record as a convicted sex offender.
Early career
In 1983, Naughton collaborated with Russ Nelson to produce Painter's Apprentice, a program modeled after MacPaint.
Sun Microsystems
While employed at Sun Microsystems, Naughton became dissatisfied with the company's C and C++ APIs and development tools. Although he contemplated joining NeXT, he was instead invited to contribute to a new initiative initially called the Stealth Project. This effort was later renamed the Green Project, with Naughton, James Gosling, and Mike Sheridan spearheading development in Menlo Park, California. Their objective was to design next-generation intelligent appliances, an emerging sector Sun sought to dominate.
By mid-1994, following strategic discussions with Sun executives such as John Gage, Bill Joy, and Eric Schmidt, the project pivoted towards the expanding realm of the World Wide Web. Inspired by graphical browsers like Mosaic, the team aimed to create an interactive web environment. Naughton developed an initial browser prototype named WebRunner, which was later rebranded as HotJava, establishing Sun Microsystems as a pioneer in web technology.
After Sun
Naughton departed from Sun in 1994 to join Starwave, a company owned by Paul Allen, where he focused on building server-side Java applications for websites. He authored The Java Handbook in 1995 and co-wrote Java: The Complete Reference in 1996 alongside Herbert Schildt, solidifying his reputation as a prominent Java authority.
Following Starwave's acquisition by the Walt Disney Internet Group in 1998 and its subsequent merger with Infoseek to form the Go Network, Naughton assumed the role of executive vice president at Infoseek. His tenure ended after his arrest in 1999.
Sex crime arrest and conviction
On September 14, 1999, Naughton traveled from Seattle to Los Angeles aboard a private jet provided by Disney. He had arranged a meeting using the online alias "Hot Seattle," intending to meet a minor; however, the individual was an undercover FBI agent. Two days later, federal authorities arrested him on charges of interstate travel with intent to engage in sexual activities with a minor, violating federal statute 18 U.S.C. §2423(b). After a trial that resulted in a deadlocked jury, Naughton entered into a plea agreement admitting he traveled primarily to engage sexually with "KrisLA," whom he believed was a 13-year-old girl. He did not serve prison time but was mandated to perform unpaid work for the FBI for one year.
See also
External links
- Mr. Famous Comes Home – an interview with Naughton published by Forbes magazine