Oracle has proposed replacing the Apache Software Foundation with SouJava, the Brazilian Java User Group, on the Java SE/EE Community Process (JCP) Executive Committee (EC).

The big 20,000-strong user group would be represented by Bruno Souza. There is no other user group on the committee, never has been.

Even the usually contrary Simon Phipps, Sun's former open source advocate, who enjoys throwing brickbats at Oracle from off-stage, couldn't find anything bad to say about the nomination, blogging that Bruno and SouJava may be able "to use their new position of influence to fix the broken things (like the opaque decision-making and the ability to have FOSS-hostile licensing terms on JSRs)."

JCP chairman Patrick Curran described Souza as a "passionate supporter of open source and of Java from its earliest days, and he would be a great asset to the Executive Committee, particularly as we work over the coming year to modify the organization's processes as we move into its second decade."

Technically, the JCP oversees the development of the Java standard but, if you'll recall, shortly before Christmas Apache resigned its seat on the EC, pulled its people out of all JSRs and slammed the door behind it, after failing to incite the rest of the committee to spit in Oracle's eye and hold the Java SE7 spec hostage until Oracle capitulated and gave Apache's open source Harmony project a TCK license for Java SE.

Instead of a mutiny, the EC meekly rubberstamped the Oracle-submitted spec. Only Apache and Google, which has a vested (and legal) interest in Harmony, voted against it. Oracle is suing Google over using Harmony in Android.

Before the Apache denouement Oracle's nomination of Hologic to replace concurrency expert Doug Lea in last year's EC election was shouted down as "packing the committee." Souza may eventually find himself branded an Oracle puppet although he seems to lean toward Apache's positions.

Lea had quit over the Harmony issue, saying the JCP is "no longer a credible specification and standards body, and there is no remaining useful role for an independent advocate for the academic and research community on the EC."

Although Oracle has no intention of changing its position, it claimed it expects SouJava and Bruno "to represent the interests of Java users and serve as a community counterbalance to Oracle and other large enterprises on the EC. We are looking forward to Bruno's active participation in the JCP and help us bring Java forward as well as help us reform the JCP in the coming years."

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