Company type | Nonprofit, NGO |
---|---|
Industry | Information Technology and Services |
Founded | September 1999 |
Founders | Bruno Souza (JavaMan) Einar Saukas |
Headquarters | , Brazil |
Website | http://soujava.org.br/ |
SouJava is a Brazilian Java User Group created to promote the Java programming language and other Open Source initiatives.[1] It's recognized as the world's largest Java User Group[2][3] with 40,000 members.[4][5][6]
Brazilian Java User Group SouJava was founded in September 1999[7][8] by Bruno Souza (JavaMan) and Einar Saukas. It was first registered officially as a technology group in Sucesu-SP (association of technology groups in Brazil[9]), then later publicly announced in a press conference at October 29, 1999.[10][better source needed] The name (also spelled as SOUJava[5]) is an acronym for "Sociedade de Usuarios Java" ("Java Users Society"), and "Sou Java" also means "I'm Java" in Portuguese.[11]
Since the beginning, SouJava has always been a nonprofit organization supported by volunteer work, quite known by the enthusiasm of its members.[12][13][14] It initially had a flat management structure (President and VP were originally Director and Associate Director in the original announcement press release, everybody else were simply referred as "members" except for a Technical Coordinator)[10] but quickly migrated to a more formal model as membership grew rapidly. On November 28, 2004, SouJava acquired Non-Governmental Organization status[15] upon reaching almost 18,000 members and got recognized as the world's largest Java User Group.[2]
In 2011, SouJava became the first Java User Group nominated for the Java Community Process Executive Committee,[4][16] as Java Community Process Expert Group Member. The following year, it was awarded as Java Community Process Member/Participant of the Year.[17]
Over the years, SouJava has organized several Java conferences in Brazil,[1][4][18] and it helped influence the adoption of open source by the Brazilian government [4][19][20] (mainly by leading an open standards and platforms manifesto,[21] organizing Javali at FISL,[22] and working together with the Brazilian Federal Government's Information Technology National Institute [23][24]), which in turn forced Sun Microsystems to open-source Java.[25][26] It's also the co-creator, together with London Java User Group, of "Adopt a JSR" program, an effort to encourage JUG members and the wider Java community to get involved in JSRs[27][28][29][30]
SouJava is headquartered in São Paulo, with branches in Campinas,[31] Rio de Janeiro and Brasília.[32]
Executive leadership positions are voluntary and unpaid, elected by the director's board. SouJava mandates are listed below:
This section contains too many or overly lengthy quotations. (July 2015) |
To give you an idea of the strength of the Java community in Brazil, the world's largest Java User Group is based there. The Sociedade de Usuarios Java, "SouJava" boasts almost 18,000 members and has now spread from its original base in Sao Paulo to be a national organisation
What pleased me is that the Java Community has become more inclusive of the industries and geographies around the world as illustrated by SouJava's joining from Brasil (the world's largest JUG and the first JUG to join)
SOUJava recognized around the world as the largest JUG with 40000 members
the largest JUG worldwide is the Brazilian SouJava with 40000 members
The Sociedade de Usuarios Java, "SouJava" ... The name means "I Am Java" in Portuguese.
I've given keynotes at Java One for many years, and one of the things I've grown to expect is what I'll call the "Brazilian effect." [...] I can confirm Brazil's one of the more progressive nations in the world when it comes to the use of free and open source software. It's got one of the largest, and most vibrant developer communities [this comment links to www.souvaja.org.br] [...] But whenever you mention Brazil or a Brazilian project, you have to watch out for the Brazilian effect, the total disruption of your speech by a contingent of flag waving (and wearing) Brazilians that, upon hearing their nation mentioned, break into hoots and hollers and whistles and applause. It takes a few minutes to die down, and the enthusiasm's contagious.
And it would not be a JavaOne without the obligatory reference to the excitable Brazilian programmers.
Brazilian are always in attendance at JavaOne USA. If you can't beat them [for passion] then you might as well join them.
Agora, o SouJava, oficialmente a Associação de Usuários da Tecnologia Java, foi em 2004 o primeiro grupo de usuários Java do país a se tornar uma ONG
Oracle is nominating SouJava, the Brazilian Java User Group, to a seat in the JCP Executive Committee.
Bruno Souza of SouJava in Brasil, JCP Award Member/Participant of the Year co-winners with the London Java Community
Java user groups are often very informal, meeting once a month on various topics. Soujava does that but they are also almost a political action group in the sense that they share ideas and together they pursue those ideas. One of those ideas is around IP and software patents. At 17,000 members, they are an agent for change, both in their own country and in the java community at large. They've been advocating and educating the Brazilian continent on standards, open source, how patents play a role there basically helping the Brazilian continent. If you look at the debate going on inside Brazil, they are formulating a policy largely to find a position and a space for Brazil in the world economy as an IT center.
Bruno is President of SouJava, Brazil's largest JUG, where he has led the group's Javali Project, an ambitious umbrella project that hosts 10 large open source projects. Javali, that includes a project to create an Open Source Java Runtime, is targeted to bring software development into Brazil's open source discussions. Bruno also co-authored the SouJava's Open Source Manifest that discussed Open Source and Open Standards as the way to correctly apply and succeed with Open Source in Brazil. The document was later used as basis for the open source initiatives of one of Brazil's largest development agency, and positively influenced the adoption of open source in Brazil.
Who Ultimately forced Sun to open-source Java? Was it external pressure, either from Java developers or the open-source community? Or was it internal, perhaps a mandate from CEO Jonathan Schwartz? Answer: None of the above. According to Jonathan himself, it was Brazil.
Sun Microsystems CEO Jonathan Schwartz admitted today that it was Brazil that forced Sun to open source Java.
JUG Leaders have started an 'Adopt a JSR' program for Java User Groups! This program is intended to encourage JUG members to get involved in a Java Specification Request (JSR) and to evangelize that JSR to their JUG and the wider Java community, in order to increase grass roots participation.
SouJava's Adopt a JSR Effort
This award recognizes the Java User Group (JUG) that has made the most exemplary contribution through the Adopt-a-JSR program in the past year. The London Java Community and SouJava initiated, and are thereby implicitly recognized, in this effort for JUGs around the world to become more involved in the work of JSRs.
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JCP Member/Participant of the Year: London Java Community and SouJava * Winner * For their historic contribution to the Adopt a JSR program and supporting Java developers through the JCP.
Outstanding Adopt-a-JSR Participant - This award recognizes the Java User Group (JUG) that has made the most exemplary contribution through the Adopt-a-JSR program in the past year. The London Java Community and SouJava initiated, and are thereby implicitly recognized, in this effort for JUGs around the world to become more involved in the work of JSRs.
Bruno Souza - His value added to the participation in the EC discussions as well as his leadership of the SouJava JUG has brought more attention to other JUGs and inspired their increased participation.