London Java Community leader and technical evangelist Simon Maple has created a Meetup called vJUG, with aim toward connecting Java Developers in the virtual world.

The aim for vJUG is:

• Get technical leaders from around the world to present to the vJUG members (without travel cost concerns!).
• Work with local JUGs to provide worldwide content to their members and help JUGs present to a worldwide audience.
• Provide content to devs without access to a local JUG.
• Be a hub that will stream content from other JUG sessions live. 

The vJUG is not intended to replace local JUG efforts. "The vJUG can never be, and will never be, as vibrant and valuable to its members as a proper local JUG can. Why? Because the true value in JUG meetings are the face to face interactions and personal networking," said Maple. "However, many people do not have access to a really active JUG with great speakers and awesome content. Or, like me, the closest JUG is about 90 mins away." WebEx and Google Hangouts are great, Maple explained, he hopes vJUG will provide more coordination of online events. 

Maple hopes that in the future, vJUG will provide

• An Events calendar with reminders and links to up coming meetings.
• A Newsletter with what's coming up and links to previous sessions.
• Coordination of links to IRC channels which are active during presentations (to create a feeling of virtual community).
• Comments and forums around sessions and presentations
• A place where physical JUGs could advertise their sessions (i.e. a NY JUG event) to a worldwide audience, when streamed, via an event that people can sign up to.
• A common Webex or Hangout.