Bruce Boyes's Blog

Where is java.net heading?

Here at the 3rd annual Java.net Community Leader's weekend in SFO there are a lot of interesting discussions and techno-gossip. For example, Collabnet just purchased SourceForge. What does this mean for online open-source communities? Are meta-communities still a viable model for the near future? What new features do we want to see at java.net? Are podcasts gaining traction in this space? What "best practices" are there for java.net communities?

And in my case, how do community leads find the time to keep things fresh? How does anyone?

So it should be an interesting weekend, and JavaOne hasn't even started yet...

Comments

• I would like java.net to stop look and feel 1995 and begin look 2005+

  Posted by: mikaelgrev on May 05, 2007 at 02:12 PM

• Can you be more specific? What I mean is, what features would achieve that 2005 look? Is it just a look (easy to fix with some html and graphics) or is it deeper? We heard today there are some new java.net features being rolled out over the next six months.

  Posted by: bboyes on May 05, 2007 at 04:38 PM

• The things a talk about any decent web designer would be able to spot right away. I guess colabnet is created by programmers and not anyone with any usability or design skills?

  Posted by: mikaelgrev on May 05, 2007 at 11:19 PM

• If you are serious about getting some more detailed feedback send a mail to grev (at) miginfocom (dot) com.

  Posted by: mikaelgrev on May 05, 2007 at 11:20 PM

• mikaelgrev had to key in his email address because java.net is not collaborative enough - His name as appears beneath his comment ought to have been a link, to his direct email box or to an indirect box at java.net that would silently redirect messages to his email address. This is one of the features missing in java.net, which shows that this collaborative website is not collaborative enough. Blog authors can't reach those who comment and those who comment can't reach one another, and those who are online can't communicate to one another.

  On the design part, yes, Java.net looks appealingly simple. This focus on simplicity has rendered a look and feel that makes anyone say that Java.net isn't java-like. There isn't much of Java in Java.net. It doesn't look and feel like a Java website.

  Java.net portal has to be a show case of 1) Java web technology and 2) All Java technologies. There are occasional screen shots and demos in this portal, linked to by blog authors or project leaders, but it is minimal. Java.net should showcase Java technologies, everywhere, on every page of the Java.net portal.

  One way by which Java.net could go about this task is to go to Community One today and Java One tomorrow and announce a Java.net project to Java-enrich Java.net... And after the event, get the Java enthusiasts from the world over to collaborate and redesign the Java.net website.

  Posted by: isolatednetworks on May 06, 2007 at 11:57 AM

• Just a clarification: Collabnet did not buy the SourceForge website, but SourceForge Enterprise Edition - the commercial enterprise software business of VA Software. VA Software still owns SourceForge.net, along with Slashdot and ThinkGeek.

  Posted by: groovecoder on May 06, 2007 at 08:16 PM

• Hmm...I'd have to say I prefer the 1995 look as opposed to the 2005+ look that has banner ads splattered everywhere. I was just reading a news article on Wired (where 2/3rds of the display are eaten by disjointed ads) about the new Hotmail look that consumes 1/3rd of your display with a banner ad. A subliminal suggestion from this page got me to type in sourceforge.net which has ads woven in and around the main display menuI'd agree that java.net is behind functionality-wise, but as far as page layout...clean and clutter free!

  Posted by: dblair on May 07, 2007 at 10:33 AM

• dblair, you've got to be kidding me. You've got to be a real programmer to actually like the java.net site. This site is a poor advertisement for a technology laying claim to the web and teh desktop.
  

  Posted by: sumitkishore on May 07, 2007 at 10:36 AM

• "I would like java.net to stop look and feel 1995 and begin look 2005+ "
  I'd rather not. We don't need more flashing ads, useless flashy buttons, "My Javanet" kiddo community to compete with myspace, and all the other things that's "kewl" these days.
  

  Posted by: jwenting on May 07, 2007 at 10:55 PM

• Java.net isn't an advertisment for java, it's a tool for developers to collaborate in the persuit of creating great software; for which it does very well. The flashy website stuff is for the Java.com domain. Mild improvements are always a possibility, but please no over-the-top overhall just for the sake of it (e.g. nothing like the new MSN Hotmail site, it's simply aweful)!

  Posted by: dansiviter on May 08, 2007 at 02:29 AM

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