Java Developer's Journal announced its first annual Readers' Choice Awards program three years ago as a patented and copyrighted innovation. JDJ's Readers' Choice Awards program became the first true, openly monitored media awards program of its kind. As happens with every innovation, since then we've seen a number of other media organizations and magazines imitate this program.

JDJ would like to point out the glaring differences in both participation and the methodology used in JDJ versus all other awards programs. JDJ is the innovator and the only true implementer of the first open media program of this kind. This year, as we announce and congratulate 17 winners and 51 finalists of JDJ Readers' Choice Awards, we'd like to remind you why these awards are also referred to as "the Oscars of the software industry."

"Oscars of the Software Industry..."
JDJ's awards program is the first and only media industry awards program tabulated and audited by BPA International, the leading magazine industry audit firm. The awards are given to superior products nominated and selected by a large number of professional Java developers and JDJ readers.

"20,000 JDJ Readers vs. 468 from Another Java Magazine"
This year, over 20,000 JDJ readers actively voted to help us select these winning products. Also this year, two competing magazines introduced their first awards programs. One of the two generated 468 total votes (according to their records); the second, fewer than 1,000. If you divide 468 total votes by 10 product categories, 46 random people (most likely employees of the participating companies) decided which products were the best of the year, and this magazine announced these results to the world!

" What Does It Mean?"
So what does it really mean to you and to the software industry when you see an award-winning logo next to a product ad? It may not mean much, depending on what award you're looking at.

Introducing... the "JDJ Approved Product/Vendor Program"
We'll keep our readers posted about our future awards programs...and we'll keep a close watch on other programs that resemble ours. In the meantime JDJ would like to announce a new service for our readers: the JDJ Approved Product/Vendor program. As a JDJ reader, you probably already know that Java Developer's Journal's BPA-audited circulation is higher than all other Java-specific publications combined. You may also have realized that JDJ's average page count is twice - sometimes three times - as large as that of our competitors.

JDJ Does Not Accept Advertising From Every Vendor...
We rely heavily on our sponsors as we serve the Java software industry. However, one thing you may not be aware of is that we exercise our right to decline advertising from vendors whose products we don't feel comfortable endorsing. And we simply refuse to accept advertisements and sponsorships from certain companies. Our advertisers become our sponsors by invitation, and only after we thoroughly check out the company. To serve readers such as yourself, who are among the decision makers in charge of software and product purchases, we've set up the JDJ Approved Product/Vendor Program to help answer any questions you may have as you try to select a reliable product for your small or large project and a dependable vendor behind it.

Please visit the JavaDevelopersJournal.com Web site for a list of vendors we endorse as true innovators of superior Java products.