Hello everyone, EclipseCon and CodeOne (formerly JavaOne) are coming up on the 22nd of October. Normally at these events there are keynote statements dedicated to Java EE which usually included messaging around technical goals, roadmap, focus area. In addition there are panels were people ask questions and look for information. News outlets write articles, quoting people and hint at what may come. All these things should happen, but they should come from voices in the community. That's what this long email is about. I've created a document where everyone can contribute. It's an interview style so people can potentially reuse the material in articles or blog posts to further support Jakarta EE. Ideally you both contribute to the document and maybe write a blog post or two your own. Consider it a community interview of sorts. The goal is not hard commitments, but to get people excited and help bring contributors in to add more muscle to fuel our "truly open source Java EE" dreams. If you want people to come help you get something done, use this to write to them and motivate them. - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1y-Vs4d9Iotw0HqsiTxG5UCm7ua0w35vJZkGVm... <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1y-Vs4d9Iotw0HqsiTxG5UCm7ua0w35vJZkGVm... There are four questions. Answer one or all four. Whatever you want. You are encouraged to share it and help get participation. There are two goals: - Get this in front of the Jakarta EE Steering Committee as the "voice of the people" - Get this in front of the press. I have two deadlines to make sure all the best things can happen: DEADLINE for inclusion any officially prepared Working Group statements: Friday, October 12th, 11pm Pacific DEADLINE for realistic inclusion any third party Jakarta EE news coverage Friday, October 19th, 11pm Pacific The first deadline is with the idea that if people get me content by Friday, I could prepare something over the weekend and have some potential text to share with the Steering Committee meeting that Tuesday morning. The Tuesday 16th meeting will be our last meeting before CodeOne/EclipseCon so that's my last chance to get something in front of everyone for any sort of pre-conference approval. "Approval" really means making sure we get up on stage and say the same thing, despite half of us will be at EclipseCon and the other half at CodeOne. Your thoughts should be presented. The second deadline is with the thought that our friends and allies in places like JAXEnter would at least have the weekend to come up with any articles they might want to publish when the conferences start the following Monday. Of course, this could all be too ambitious and no one participates, in which case, I'm ok being the guy with egg on his face. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. So I'm fine going for it. That said, I think we can do it and I'd love to see as many voices as we can possibly get. I can't stress enough -- all voices are welcome. If for a second you think, "I'm nobody, no one wants to hear from me." Bury that thought, yes we do. How does a community of 10 become a community of 100? Only through the bravery of 90 people in your shoes. When we get to 1000, it will be because of you. If you want that future for us, now is the time to ignore the butterflies and take that risk. Make Jakarta EE the place you believe it can be. You don't have to speak confidently, just speak. The confidence comes with time. You are surrounded by a community who wants you and us all, to succeed. Let's take the first of many brave steps. -David -- David Blevins http://twitter.com/dblevins http://www.tomitribe.com