I am a professional software developer and amateur free software enthusiast. I'm currently living in Stamford, CT, USA. In April 96, I took some time to learn Java (I think it was 0.99alpha at that point.) Since then, I have developed almost exclusively in Java, including some of the lesser used features, such as JNI and RMI.
Unfortunately, this work has all been for internal, highly proprietary applications.
Because I do so much work for fun in my spare time (what there is of it,) I have benefited greatly from other free software projects like GCC, EMACS, and Linux. The educational value of source code cannot be overstated! The JOS Project is a worthy endeavor, and I'm glad to have to opportunity to contribute something back to the free software community.
Things change fast, don't they? I'm now in Minneapolis, MN, working for a very high-tech consulting firm which specializes in large scale, mission-critical Java systems.