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Q & A WITH INTEL
  • Why do you want a seat on the EC?

    Intel has been one of the leading EC members in proposing reforms in the JCP. It's been a long road, but we think over the next few years significant reforms will occur. We hope we get to finish the work we have been doing.
  • What changes would you like to make happen during your three-year tenure on the EC (if elected)?

    We would like changes that ensure that all JCP specifications can be independently implemented, increased transparency so the community can see the specification development process and better opportunities to participate in the development process. Please look at our JCP platform document
  • The majority of EC members seem to represent big corporations. How can we ensure that the interests of the broader development community are represented?

    Background for those not familiar with what the EC does: JCP members propose Java Specification Requests (JSRs). The member proposing the JSR becomes the Spec Lead for that JSR and for future revisions. The Spec lead selects JCP Members to create the specification in an Expert Group. The Spec Lead owns the copyright and licenses the spec and test suite (TCK), etc.. The EC votes on JSRs submitted by members to decide whether to start the JSR or not and votes at 2 other points in specification development. The EC also votes on process changes, with Sun as the Spec Lead for that (which means Sun effectively having a veto).

    Any company, large or small, or any individual member could act in the EC out of narrow self interest. The best way for the membership to ensure that JCP operates in their interest is to be able to see for themselves what is going on and to have real opportunities for input. We've listed some of the changes we'd like to see in our JCP platform document
  • How should the JCP adapt to the Open Source movement?

    Many of the changes that would help Open Source efforts are important for the whole community, whether open source or not. Some of those include: clear, publicly viewable licensing so there aren't any licensing surprises that block implementation; transparency so that implementers (open source or not) can track and experiment with drafts as they are being produced; and rules that foster membership participation in developing specifications. Those types of changes help everyone, but the increasing importance of open source helps the prospects of reform being implemented. Beyond that, creating open source Reference Implementations (RI) and test suites (TCK) are a good means to avoid some of the difficulties that arise in the Spec Lead being the one to own an RI and TCK. (e.g. Spec Lead goes bankrupt so how does the community create the next version of the spec?)
  • If you are elected on the JCP EC which will be your top priorities over your term:
    • energize your company's participation in the community: submit new JSRs, actively participate in EGs, motivate spec leads to become mentors ...
    • evangelize the importance of standards
    • improve the process
    • other


    The top priority is ensuring the rules are applied fairly in JCP. The EC serves as the check in JCP that members and the larger community are treated fairly according to the JCP's rules. We would like to see JCP require consistent, publicly viewable licensing across all future JSRs. People sometimes have the notion that licensing is something that keeps you from doing something. In standards organizations the intent should be licensing that ensures you can do something - implement and use the spec. Another key priority is increasing transparency into the JSR Expert Groups and the EC along with better opportunities for participation.
  • What role do you think standards and standards development will have in the future (if any)?

    Standards allow multiple providers to create compatible versions of products or components. That will always be needed. Whether a standard comes out of a traditional standards organization or a pseudo-standard from open source, it's important that we can work together to create standards that we can all innovate on top of.