"I have never bothered to learn, nor will I, what the default modifiers for Java’s variables and methods are"

That means that he doesn't understand "package" level access. There is no "package" keyword (well, there is, but it means something else). To get package-private access you have to leave it unspecified, so that means he can't use this feature. Or grok it when he comes across it.

The lack of a keyword for this is a shortcoming in Java, IMHO. But even if you don't use it often, you should have an inkling of how it works.

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/403583/what-is-the-use-of...