Think Tank RebelLabs Announces Sponsorship of Industry’s First Global Java User Group

Online Virtual JUG Created to Connect Java Developers Worldwide with Resources, Regardless of Proximity to Local Meet-Ups

Boston - Nov 5, 2013 - RebelLabs, the research and content think tank of ZeroTurnaround, today announced its exclusive sponsorship of Virtual JUG (vJUG), launched by the company’s technical evangelist, Simon Maple. While traditional Java User Groups (JUGs) act as the main official Oracle/Java-endorsed vehicle for collaboration, conversation and various opportunities within local developer communities, vJUG provides a central online hub of Java-related knowledge, accessible to developers everywhere regardless of location. With more than 350 member signups in the last two weeks, vJUG aims to close the geographic constraints among Java developers around the world, offering easier ways for anyone to join and expand their Java expertise. The group emulates the interactivity of traditional JUGs by making its virtual meetings as hands-on as possible with panel discussions, attendee-driven sessions, Internet Relay Chat (IRC), live demos and more. As the vJUG expands, members will stay up-to-date on the group’s happenings through newsletters that collate the topics of discussion, most popular panels and links to videos of past sessions. 

“Whether you don’t have access to a local Java community, your current JUG isn’t active, or you are simply looking to expand your network, vJUG is the modern solution for today’s developer. You can think of us like a supplement for existing JUGs, ‘Vitamin V’ if you will. We’re not looking to steal the spotlight with local JUGs, which we love. In fact, the opposite: we want to work with JUGs to expand the benefits of membership and give the community more content, ideas and reach.” – Simon Maple, Evangelist, ZeroTurnaround

RebelLabs is fully on board and will serve as the official sponsor of vJUG, providing Simon with the necessary time, infrastructure and smart people to run sessions and generate interaction.

“Many RebelLabs’ authors--whether they are internal ZeroTurnaround engineers or external contributors looking to publish and make a name for themselves--are members of JUGs themselves, so you can see how this project is something the entire team is passionate about. Plus, Simon is basically unstoppable, and it’s great to have him leading the charge.” – Oliver White, Head of RebelLabs

“Local Java communities benefit most from remaining tight-knit, and we’re excited bring support to a community that some say has lost much of its former strength and voice. Through vJUG, we hope to reinforce the global JUG community with more interaction, stronger networks and a louder voice.” It’s free and ridiculously simple to sign up to be a vJUG member today, and it’s seamless if you already have a Meetup.com profile. Java developers around the world are encouraged to participate, regardless of any local JUG affiliations. 

About RebelLabs

RebelLabs is the research and content division of ZeroTurnaround, creators of the award-winning Java productivity tool, JRebel. This think tank is the producer of the popular Developer Productivity Report series and content that covers a range of topics and writing styles. From opinionated editorials to deep technical dives into software tools, technologies and practices, RebelLabs digs into topics often searched for online, such as JVM languages, web frameworks, application servers and continuous integration servers, plus Java bytecode, classloaders and memory. RebelLabs Authors are a mix of developers, architects and technical writers from within ZeroTurnaround, peppered with frequent contributions from geeky engineers and well-known people from all over the world. Developers and architects are welcome to become RebelLabs Contributors and expand their minds, networks and careers. 

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