Hmm, didn't install Java yet -- wondering if I should bother...

For however many years I've been running Linux, I have installed Sun/Oracle (depending on when we are talking about) Java + the related browser plugin as a matter of course when doing a clean install.

In the two weeks or so that I've been running the Elementary OS Luna beta, I just realized I haven't gotten around to doing so.

A quick look in synaptic shows that something I installed must have required openjdk6, because that's there, but the browser plugin isn't installed.

So, I always assumed that lots of websites would be broken for me without a Java plugin installed -- but apparently not, since I haven't run across any broken web pages yet.

So now I'm actually putting more thought into what I should do WRT Java than I have in the past.

What (if any) is the compelling reason to install the browser plugin these days?

And what is the prevailing wisdom regarding openjdk vs Oracle?

I don't really want to install it if I don't need it, but everything seems fine from what I can see -- and Java security concerns seem to have been in the news a lot lately (not that there's anything unusual about that)

Edit: It looks like there's no compelling reason to worry about it, based on replies so far. Thanks all!