Why require JavaScript rather than supporting a standard browser virtual machine?
<p>Would it not make sense to support a set of languages (Java, Python, Ruby, etc.) by way of a standardized virtual machine hosted in the browser rather than requiring the use of a specialized language -- really, a specialized paradigm -- for client scripting only?</p>

<p>To clarify the suggestion, a web page would contain byte code instead of any higher-level language like JavaScript.</p>

<p>I understand the pragmatic reality that JavaScript is simply what we have to work with now due to evolutionary reasons, but I'm thinking more about the long term.  With regard to backward compatibility, there's no reason that inline JavaScript could not be simultaneously supported for a period of time and of course JavaScript could be one of the languages supported by the browser virtual machine.</p>
