Because, sadly, everyone is hopping on the JavaScript bandwagon. But it's not as bad as it seems. There is CoffeeScript which is IMHO a considerably better lang

Because, sadly, everyone is hopping on the JavaScript bandwagon. But it's not as bad as it seems. There is CoffeeScript which is IMHO a considerably better language, and there is ClojureScript which brings the wonders of Lisps into JS. And for simple webapp logic I can tolerate JavaScript. It's also an uncomfortable but true fact that JavaScript is today one of the most-used languages in the realm of forward-driving forces of tech (that would be the startups). Most GitHub repos are in JS, too. However, the lack of integers will always be my pet peeve, and I really can't imagine how could someone arrive at such a horrible idea.