Monday, February 02, 2004

FTPOnline.com: Sun Sets on JavaWorld

FTPOnline.com: Sun Sets on JavaWorld: "IDG's decision to stop publishing new content on JavaWorld, although the site's archives will remain live, would be just another blip on the trade publishing market, if it didn't reflect the ill health of the overall Java ecosystem.
Attendance at Sun Microsystems' own JavaOne conference plummeted last year. By some outside estimates, attendance was down 75% from the show's peak.
101communications closed its Java Report magazine a couple years ago. Sys-Con, our competitor with Java Developer's Journal, stopped doing its separate Java conference, moving instead to a broad, general developer conference with its upcoming Edge 2004. (I have to be careful here, since relations with Sys-Con are so acrimonious. This is not a criticism of Sys-Con.)
IBM developerWorks journal has apparently stopped publication.
Late last year, I discussed the Java market with the CEOs of two prominent tools vendors. Both are discontinuing advertising in this market and shifting their marketing dollars elsewhere. As one put it, 'Java on the presentation layer is dead.'
What hasn't been reported is that behind the scenes, FTP had reached a tentative deal with IDG to take over JavaWorld, integrate it with FTPOnline, invest in and revitalize it with new content.
According to IDG, this deal got squashed by Sun Microsystems when it demanded more concessions from IDG. We never heard details of what Sun reportedly wanted. "

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