The success of the Java platform owes much to millions of developers who formed communities. Learn the secrets to building a successful technical community from the managers at Sun Microsystems.
4. The Java Story ... that ultimately touches millions of people every day.
5. How Did We Get Here? 40 to 50 million new Java runtimes (JRE) monthly downloads 1+ billion JRE updates yearly Billions of devices using JRE 5 million Java developers Millions and millions of users
8. Agenda Experiences and lessons learned Java Developer Communities Java.net Glassfish JavaONE Community Touch Points product reviews code sharing discussions wikis Java and Social Networking
9. What do these words have in common? Prose Neon NetProse Lyric DNA Silk Ruby Pepper WebRunner Language Web Dancer Web Spinner Pop Quiz
10. Prose Neon NetProse Lyric DNA Silk Java Ruby Pepper WebRunner Language Web Dancer Web Spinner They all belong to the short list for naming JAVA! Answer
13. Java.net About Founded in 2003 Funded by Sun, managed by the OReilly Network 5,000 projects (20% active) 500,000 registered users (10% active) An ecosystem of Java developers Successful Achieved legitimacy in the eyes of developers Independent, vendor-agnostic Embraced open-source software movement early
14. Lessons Learned Use community governance sensibly Not at the site level, but for projects / technology Put the community first, even when your bosses disagree Earn credibility for your company Teach yourselves how to be a good community participant Achieve an organizational understanding of what it takes to be respected in the community Simple tools can go a long way Small groups are effective with forums, wikis, blogs, mailing lists, code management
16. Glassfish About Started June 2005 Over 14 million downloads to date Over 240 thousand registrations since Dec 2007 Glassfish Admin Hits 2/07 - 12/08
17. Glassfish Lessons Learned Dont start from scratch Usefulness is very important Develop transparently Strive for win-win relationships Communication tools matter least, participation and commitment matter most Large and distributed projects thrive on information Leave room for local experimentation,but think globally Empowerment and communication creates community Communities create markets
19. Java Support Forums About General Java technology discussions 900,000 registered users (17% active) 5,000 new users join each month Successful community moderators program Lessons learned Ignore your developer community at your peril! Expertise is the currency of a support forum track and measure this (points and rewards programs) Embrace your community leaders they can help you more than you realize
22. JavaONE About Started 1996, celebrated 13th anniversary in June 2008 Average 15,000 attendees yearly Technical sessions, BoFs, Hands-on labs for the Java-faithful and Java-curious Lessons learned People need offline, physical interactions to cement relationships started online Offer students free admission theyll enter the workplace soon, and could be your brand advocates Try to capture the excitement of events on the Web with streaming video, podcasts, tagged photos & blogs
25. Java Studio Creator Product Reviews About Launched in 2006 on Sun.com and Developer sites Hosted service provided through partner Moderation is done on an exception-basis Lessons learned Make your competitors squirm by doing the things they are unwilling to do Dont force people to adopt social tools if they arent ready Use reviews to build a better mouse trap, and earn loyal customers, too
27. Sun Developer Network Share About Launched April 2007 2,015 members 342 posts Lessons learned Look outside for innovation and inspiration Dont underestimate soft skills needed to manage a community To get things done, you sometimes have to play outside the rules If you arent just a little bit scared, something is wrong
29. java.sun.com Community Discussions About Launched November 2008 Hosted service provided through partner Lessons learned Build strong relationships with your vendors early (you never know how much abuse youll subject them to) There is no such thing as a small community project Avoid attempts to go big if you havent solved for community moderation People want to be heard. Give them the opportunity.
31. Sun Java Communications Suite Wiki About Launched October 2007 Uses third-party enterprise wiki software Lessons learned Wikis are for real collaboration and communication are accelerated, especially in big companies The need for good information architecture doesnt go away its importance is magnified on a wiki Opening up your development processes to the world can have unexpected benefits like new customers interested in your company and product!