The Java Community Process (JCP) defines the standards that make up the Java SE and EE platforms, including the Java EE umbrella standard itself. The individual standards are defined as Java Specification Requests (JSR), each forming so-called Expert Groups, consisting of experts and companies involved in enterprise software.

The idea is to standardize technology that has proven itself well in real-world projects. The experience of companies and individuals from these real-world projects is brought together to form vendor-independent Java enterprise standards.

It's highly advisable for both companies and individuals to participate in the JCP. It provides the ability to form the standards and the future of Java technology as well as to gain knowledge in this technology. The open processes of the JCP enable developers to get insight about how the future versions of Java EE will look.

Individuals and companies can also follow the standardization processes, even if they don't participate in the JCP. It's possible to review working states of the standards and provide feedback to the Expert Groups.

The Expert Groups indeed welcome constructive feedback while the specifications are being formed. It's very beneficial to receive feedback and experience from real-world projects and helps in crafting standards that suit the needs of the industry better.

I also was involved in shaping Java EE 8, being part of two Expert Groups, namely JAX-RS 2.1 and JSON-P 1.1. I personally gained a lot of knowledge as part of this engagement and can encourage enterprise Java developers to look into the processes within the JCP.