Java will be 30 years old next year, but it doesn't look like it's going away anytime soon. Java's strength comes from platform independence and object-oriented design, but also from the communities that support it.

Java User Groups (JUGs) have become important meeting places where both experienced developers and newcomers come together to learn and share ideas. Recently, Dynamic Solutions sponsored the JUG event in Poznań, Poland.

Jakub Gardo, who works as a Senior Java Developer with Dynamic Solutions’ streamx.dev, is deeply involved in this community. He helps run the JUG in Poznań and often speaks at these meetups in different locations.

I sat down with Jakub to get his take on organizing events, speaking to crowds, and keeping up with Java's fast-changing world. From newbies to pros, JUGs welcome all. And as Jakub tells it, there's more to these meetups than just talking code.

Jakub: I have been attending Java User Group meetings in Poznań basically since the beginning of my programming career. Curiosity and the desire to gain knowledge initially pushed me to attend these meetings.

Last year there was an announcement that the Poznań JUG was looking for organizational support, along with an application form. I got in touch, talked, and got started.

And there is a lot of work to be done - from typical marketing (such as publishing posts on LinkedIn and Facebook, and asking people to share information about upcoming JUGs), through administration (organizing the venue and food, as well as taking care of financial matters), and organizational tasks (discussing who will give a speech and when, all the meeting details, and collecting feedback for speakers and sponsor companies). It's nothing spectacular, but without these activities, the meetings would not take place.

Jakub: Apart from the presentations themselves, the questions to the speaker and the answers are of great value. The opportunity to discuss interesting cases with other meeting participants is also valuable. Such meetings with different people always broaden your horizons.

As the organizer, I am really happy that, on average, 50 people attend each meeting to listen to the technological lectures. We've successfully built a community of Java technology enthusiasts who regularly participate. In addition to our regular attendees, we also have people who join JUG sporadically or just once in a while. After almost every meeting, we receive feedback about the pleasant, relaxed atmosphere, which is always gratifying to hear.

Jakub: I used to attend various conferences as a participant. However, at a certain point, the lectures on topics that particularly interested me stopped providing new insights. I realized that since there weren't any presentations that could further my knowledge in my passion—application performance—maybe it was time to create one myself. I aim to design my presentations with this in mind, targeting not everyone, but those who are curious about the inner workings of technology.

Creating a presentation is a highly enriching process. Firstly, developing the content requires diving deeper into the subject matter, which fuels learning. Speaking in front of an audience is also a skill that needs practice. Of course, there's stress involved, but receiving positive feedback on the presentation is satisfying.

Jakub: blog.jgardo.dev is typically technical - low-level code descriptions, microbenchmarks, and less often technology descriptions. Basically, I write in Polish, but it is possible that I will also start publishing content in English in the future. 

Jakub: I follow many news sources. I learn often by observing different people on the X platform and on LinkedIn. I also follow Slack channels on JVM-Poland, where some news also appears.

As for blogs, I'm browsing JVM Bloggers - a website where you can find posts written by Polish bloggers over the last week.

When it comes to summarizing what's new from the world of Java, I recommend JVM Weekly.

From podcasts, I always go for Better Software Design by Mariusz Gil. A variety of topics are discussed, but all episodes are of high quality content.

And last but not least - books. They provide systematized knowledge that is difficult to convey in Internet posts.

Jakub: In both cases, taking the initiative is key. Don't worry - we are all human and everyone started somewhere. And then everything will be fine.