Isomorphism vs Universal JavaScript

Ever since Spike Brehm of Airbnb popularized the term Isomorphic JavaScript people have been confused about what exactly it means to have an Isomorphic JavaScript application and what it takes to build one. From the beginning there were people opposing the term, suggesting alternatives such as monomorphic or polymorphic, whatever that all means. Eventually Michael Jackson (the React guy) suggested the term Universal JavaScript and most people seem to prefer it and proclaim “Isomorphic” to be dead.
To reopen the discussion, JavaScript guru Dr. Axel Rauschmayer recently asked the question: Is Isomorphic JavaScript a good term? I’ve already left a comment explaining my view of things, but I’d like to explain a little more. I used make the distinction between Functional Isomorphism and Technical Isomorphism. In my talk at XebiCon I explained the difference. Having the server render the HTML on first page load is the functional part, the thing that provides for a better user experience. The technical part is where we use the same code in both environments, which no user ever asked for, but makes a developer’s life easier (at least in theory).
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