I’m very disappointed with Oracle about Kenai’s discontinuation. SUN was working to provide a better service for the community, besides solving their own internal development management. But now, Oracle changes the rules, saying implicitly that the community doesn’t deserve that, but a simpler, less integrated, difficult to manage platform, which is java.net.

The beginning Oracle’s relationship with the Java Community was not that easy. To celebrate the transition, they started giving us more work to do (move our projects as soon as possible from Kenai to anywhere else) besides the work we already have to perform in our open-source projects.

Using a bit of intelligence, Oracle would propose to keep the Kenai platform with the community, because the trademark is already well known among us, and creating an internal instance of Kenai, with a sub-domain or even with another name, since the name “Kenai” doesn’t make any difference internally. Also, it’s easier for a database company to divide internal projects from community projects than forcing thousands of people to leave Kenai. The cost to keep Kenai working for the community is ridiculous for Oracle.

Oracle should remember, or even learn, that we spend a considerable time of our lives convincing people to use their, now new, products. We even teach people how to use those products. You know, without people with expertise around a product, it cannot be consolidated in a certain geographic region. We also generate a lot of knowledge around our groups that influence local software companies to choose the technologies we have been struggling to learn. So, we have generated a lot of business for those who work with us and give us a good support and recognition.

So far, just words coming from Oracle. Words just saying that nothing worse is going to happen besides some projects they already have eliminated. Some positive words full of promises and empty of actions. I’m not willing to keep listening to excuses or explanations. I’m willing to continue promoting new Oracle’s products. But, what can Oracle do to make it happen in the best way possible, even better than before?

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