Erlang vs Java

Languages that run on a VM general.

Why do so many people hate Java and like Erlang?

Erlang is slooooooooow.

Erlang vs Java

IHBT

Erlang (the language) is somewhat decent

syntax is fucked up to the point of preventing of usage of certain language features. in particular anonymous functions.
metaprogramming is a huge pain.
here is rather simple recipe for success: make up a language with clean and simple fioc syntax (think coffeescript (there would no scope problems)), semantics of erlang (100%-90% of it) and with satisfactory macro system restricted to compile time; code a yourlangnamehere -> erlang translator. hype, hype, hype.
do that before 2015 and project will be a major competitor.

Erlang is just a no-one-knows programming language

ulike with js, a brain-dead php coder could learn erlang in just two weeks (that's not just a meme but also a truth)