The last months were full of conversations about AI ... I wanna state why I still believe in open-source libraries: Today, AI can generate an implementation within seconds. But creating code is only the beginning.

We had another great 🛠️ DCN meetup this week. Stefan Böhringer gave us an introduction to Event Sourcing and shared his experience with the topic. The discussion and questions afterward showed how much interest there still is in fundamental software architecture topics.

Everybody is sound asleep - that’s how relaxing Java modernization can be. At the Java Forum Stuttgart, I shared options on how to modernize your Java applications, including: Vaadin, OpenRewrite (by Moderne), IBM Bob, Equo and more.

Found IBM Bob at the Java Forum Stuttgart. The helmet is from Hornbach. With the right sticker, the Bob Cosplayset is complete! 🤗

For me, recognitions like Microsoft MVP are mainly valuable because of the connections behind them. Staying close to vendors like Microsoft and the wider developer community helps us stay current - and bring that knowledge back into customer projects.

XDEV Software@xdev.software · 4w ago

Proud to share: Richard Fichtner is now also a #MicrosoftMVP. 🏆 Community recognition matters because it reflects how we work: learning, sharing, and turning that knowledge into better outcomes for our customers. 🙌 #DeveloperCommunity #SoftwareEngineering #OpenSource

💡 Learn from our #OracleACE speakers at Java Forum Stuttgart! Join @richard.fichtner.dev and Sandra Parsick on July 9 for a day of Java, innovation, and community at one of Germany's premier Java conferences. 🔗 www.java-forum-stuttgart.de

Java Tech made in Oberpfalz at DENK.Summit! Awesome to see, great startups with amazing ideas! Among them Cyrock.ai a Java technology to serve as a long term memory for AI!

Back in my day, IT training meant IBM AS/400. Tonight at the Partner Circle at Informatik Campus Wiesau: 20+ IT companies, educators and local leaders talked about what students need today. “Glück” as resilience and stress prevention makes sense. And NFC/PayPal for school payments? Neuland 😄

I’m happy to share that I’ve been awarded Microsoft MVP status. Over the last few years, Microsoft has made a real investment in Java and the developer community. Whether through the Microsoft Build of OpenJDK, Java on Azure, or events like JDConf, it’s clear that Java developers matter.

Really nice to see IBM represented by IBMers and IBM Champions alike at JCON EUROPE. The ecosystem becomes stronger when people from different companies, communities, and backgrounds come together around Java.

"How do you measure the greatness of a conference? I arrived here, tried to walk around this small circle and it took me 3 hours, since I had so many nice people approaching me with interesting conversations." One of my favorite pieces of feedback for JCON from Adam Bien.

How do you know you made it? When people start selling bootleg copies of your stuff. Yeah, we are there! Our designs are awesome and so is the quality of the fabric of our original t-shrits. Come back next year to JCON and get your high-quality JCON t-shirt from the source!

Thank you to @jcon.one and @richard.fichtner.dev for this leadership award. Building out the #Java community has been a career highlight. #JavaTogether

JCON Team on the road! See you in Cologne!

♠️ JCON Europe is back (April 20–23), bringing together Java enthusiasts from across the globe! 🌍 A strong group of Oracle ACEs will be sharing insights on Java, cloud, and modern development practices—making this a must-attend event for developers looking to stay ahead 🚀☕ 🔗 2026.europe.jcon.one

JCON EUROPE loading ... literally! The JCON team is packed up and ready to go. We are looking forward to seeing you in Cologne next week!

Time flies when you’re connecting great people. 3 years already. Being an IBM Champion was never about the badge for me. It’s about the conversations, the shared ideas, and building bridges between the IBM Java community and the wider Java ecosystem.

Didn’t expect this one to take off like that. My JavaOne talk “How to (Re)start Your Java Journey in 2026” just passed 15,000 views in 9 days.

Throwback to the good old times. Thank you to Sharat Chander for donating some of your personal items! You gotta have both the old and the new. Like JCON EUROPE: reminisce about the old times in the hallway, learn about the new stuff in the sessions! Join us! europe.jcon.one

People keep asking me about the ribbons. Yes, there’s a bit of “catch ’em all” 😄 But they actually do something: they start conversations. You see a topic, you talk, something interesting happens. That’s the real value of in-person conferences. Join us in April in Cologne: 2026.europe.jcon.one

Security is important. Especially today ... so I am only working with signed artifacts. James Gosling signed this one, so it must be good :) PS: Java FX is back www.oracle.com/java/...

One of my favorite JCON moments didn’t happen in a talk. It happened in a hallway because of a T-shirt. Learn about this awesome stroy here: 2026.europe.jcon.one...

Most companies underestimate vendor risk. Until it hits them. Java is different. Oracle leads. IBM, Amazon, Microsoft, SAP, Azul and others invest too. Not a single-vendor story. That’s why I recommend Java. If it’s on your roadmap, let’s talk. At XDEV, we help teams get it right.

JCON EUROPE? We have attendees from 5 continents at JCON EUROPE, but are still missing a few regions in europe. If you live somewhere that's gray on this map, send me a message and let's get you to JCON EUROPE! #JCON 2026.europe.jcon.one

And they say, developer conferences don't have a dress code. Shout out to Volker Simonis for being one of best dressed folks at #JavaOne Get yourself and an awesome Duke shirt at JCON europe.jcon.one

Some of the best people in tech are in the Java community. Sharat Chander is one of them. 25 years of supporting Java, JUGs, and Java Champions. You can tell he truly cares. During #JavaOne, he even turned an errand into a great moment. Big US car, country music, good conversation.

Best track at conferences? The Airport Track or Hallway Track? Waiting at the gate after #JavaOne, having conversations about Planes, Classloaders, ByteCode ... like normal people. Pro tip: wear Java swag. It starts conversations. If you like that vibe: 2026.europe.jcon.one...

JavaOne done. Really good one. Best part: hallway track. Thanks Sharat Chander, Chad Arimura and team. You can feel the care. Also: gave 2 talks. Java ecosystem is in a strong place. Tools like OpenRewrite, Vaadin, EclipseStore make a real difference. Next stop: JCON Europe europe.jcon.one

“Lombok is like cocaine. At first, it feels awesome, but after a while, you regret your choices.” Heard that at JavaOne last year—and it came back to me today during the fireside chat.. Lombok solved real problems, now Java evolves (records, pattern matching), and those gaps are closing. #JavaOne

Java keeps getting faster… without us changing much. The JIT improvements from 21 → 26 alone are significant (Netflix saw up to 3.5x in cases). Brian Goetz said: “Thinking is hard.” Feels true. Code gets easier. Performance gets “free.” Thinking is the work. Before you optimize—try Java 26.