Getting Started

Starting a JBoss User Group requires a lot of time and dedication although it can be well worth the effort if you enjoy technology and want to share your knowledge with others. You'll receive new ideas from users and stand to gain a lot both personally and professionally.

First of all you should determine who's interested in JBoss technologies within your social network, e.g friends, colleagues, costumers, partners... Contact the people that might be interested and ask them whether or not they would like to get involved in a JBoss User Group.

When you have enough people willing to participate then the next step is to organise a meeting where the main topics would be:

Identity

To help new users familiarise themselves with the group you should think about creating a mission statement and documenting the history of your JBUG. In addition take some time to decide on the group's name and logo.

You should also think of creating a web presence for your JBUG, most of the registered JBoss user groups are either using a website, a JBoss community group or a Meetup group.

If you need some help to create a logo, you can ask our visual design team using the contact form. It is greatly appreciated that you send your request with relevant information such as the name of the JBUG, your location, pictures and ideas. It will greatly help the visual design team in the process of creating a logo for your JBUG.

Funding

You should determine what kind of expenses you will meet in the long and short term. The typical expenses JBUGs have to face with are mainly the following:

  • Room and equipment rentals
  • Refreshments and food
  • Advertising
  • Promotional items
  • Speaker expenses
  • Website administration fees

You should think of finding sponsoring to cover your expenses. If you can find suitable facilities that are freely available, or if you can find a sponsor to help pay for your expenses, you have done yourself a big favor.

 

Meeting place

Finding a good meeting place might be complicated especially if you have no funding to hire a room. However in exchange for publicity, local IT companies will sometimes lend out their conference rooms.

University computer science departments are also good places to visit. In addition to a meeting room, they may also have the equipment you'll need for meetings such as projectors, computers, and Internet access.

Structure and roles

You will need to document the roles and responsibilities of the JBUG leader/s together with the duration of their terms if they are elected.

You might also want to assign:

  1. A master of ceremonies to keep the meeting moving and on track (usually the leader)
  2. A treasurer who is responsible for designing and keeping a budget.

As needs arise you might also want to assign:

  • A recorder responsible for documenting the meetings.
  • A web master for maintaining the JBUG's website.