EDIT: while looking for the links bellow i found this disturbing news
New 0day in the patched 7u11noscript is very effective handling javascript (different from java); it's true that it has an option to disable java but although it was always on (blocking java) this site
http://www.java.com/en/download/testjava.jsp always reported active java on my browser.
i manually disabled java (never felt the need or missed it) long time ago.
quoting reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/14/us-java-oracle-security-idUSBRE90D10P20130114?type=companyNews the 7u11 update doesn't address all the issues with java and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security kept the recommendation to have java disabled in the browser(s)
Gene has a topic here
viewtopic.php?f=47&t=122731#p673711 looking for the same answers and with the same concerns