Book Image

Developer, Advocate!

By : Geertjan Wielenga
Book Image

Developer, Advocate!

By: Geertjan Wielenga

Overview of this book

What exactly is a developer advocate, and how do they connect developers and companies around the world? Why is the area of developer relations set to explode? Can anybody with a passion for tech become a developer advocate? What are the keys to success on a global scale? How does a developer advocate maintain authenticity when balancing the needs of their company and their tech community? What are the hot topics in areas including Java, JavaScript, "tech for good," artificial intelligence, blockchain, the cloud, and open source? These are just a few of the questions addressed by developer advocate and author Geertjan Wielenga in Developer, Advocate!. 32 of the industry's most prominent developer advocates, from companies including Oracle, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, open up about what it's like to turn a lifelong passion for knowledge sharing about tech into a rewarding career. These advocates run the gamut from working at large software vendors to small start-ups, along with independent developer advocates who work within organizations or for themselves. In Developer, Advocate!, readers will see how developer advocates are actively changing the world, not only for developers, but for individuals and companies navigating the fast-changing tech landscape. More importantly, Developer, Advocate! serves as a rallying cry to inspire and motivate tech enthusiasts and burgeoning developer advocates to get started and take their first steps within their tech community.
Table of Contents (36 chapters)
34
Other Books You May Enjoy
35
Index
36
Packt

Connotations of "evangelist"

Geertjan Wielenga: There's some debate over whether the word "evangelist" is too political to use. Is it all one and the same to you?

Heather VanCura: The word "evangelist" condenses down to the same thing as the word "advocate." But I think that both can be seen as being politically charged in some way.

"Evangelical" has a religious aspect for some people and "advocacy" can relate to politics. I don't really have a preference. Obviously, both titles are related to being passionate and speaking on behalf of a constituency. I'm passionate about the Java developer community and I definitely see my role as bringing the community in and ensuring that it's heard within the JCP. Both terms would apply to me.

Geertjan Wielenga: Do you see yourself as having been a spin doctor at Sun Microsystems and now at Oracle?

Heather VanCura: No, I don't see it that way. I think the intentions...