The (not so) Daily Chris

Hi Chris,

I am Indian Engineer my comments to your queeries are as under:-

1. What would you expect to find in a professional network aimed at engineers?
   
2. It should be like Blog where Engineers can express their opinions on the current topics, personal experiences which they would like to share with others. Expertise they can provide to each other.
3. What specific tools and technologies would be of greatest importance? Any technology which is connected to enginnering profession. It can be like any other Blog but only related to engineering.
4. How would you expect such a site to differ from CR4? CR4 is problem solving site. Where you put up a problem which many engineers try to solve or help in solving the problem. Here you can not express you opinons or experiences.
   

For a professional network to work it would need real people with real profiles. Instead of Silas Marner, I'd be my real name attached to my job and company.

First a question: Will this new site be for Engineers Only, or will it be fore those qualified in their own fields to be engineers but don't have the papers to prove it.

Responses to your questions:

1.

a. Valuable tools for every trade like online calculators, links for sponsored equipment lines as well as links to component manufacturers and dealers.

b. Intel on the latest technology for different applications, broken down by application and technology. I.E mechanical, electrical, pnuematic, hydraulic, etc.

c. a link to discussion forums like CR4 for just the purpose that this site serves.

2. You have to have linke to all High quality tool manufacturers, for both electrical and mechanical tools. With discounts for being a member of the site.

3. Not much in the forum section but the main section would be more like a news site with articles about new technologies and ideas, with a little light humor, just because I think everyone needs a break sometime.

Hi double_j_b,

The question of "just engineer" vs. professionals working in an engineering environment is one we've discussed at length. Our prevailing thought is that the latter is the way to go. Exclusivity, a la the SERMO example I used in the original post, wouldn't be possible. While MD and ODs have to be licenced and all doctors working at a given hospital are public knowledge, there's no "Engineering Rolodex." There are different degrees, licensure programs differ from state to state (let alone country to country), and even these are not necessary to do one's job. On a personal note, I'm not an engineer, even though I live and breathe engineering and technology - so I'd have to be excluded.

I can see the difficulty of being part of site admin if you had to recuse yourself due to a lack of post-name initials (P.E., C.E., M.E., etc.). Totally awkward. Not to dwell on it too much, as you seem to have rejected exclusivity, but I am a scientist, not an engineer. I have worked with and around more engineers than Casey Jones, so I sometimes think/talk like one anyway. And a lot of the P.E.'s of various sorts I have interacted with were only marginally engineers anyway...(I didn't say that out loud, did I?).

Hi Chris,

I would also have to exclude my self as a papered engineer.

As a Social networking you will need to add a social forum other than engineering, say a BS room where individuals and small groups can hive off the main group to interact.

Some of us will be less than average at tact and diplomacy where others will be social butterflies. You will also get chaos mongers in a totally open social forum.

So exclusive membership has its perks but limits diversity so as a suggestion: no guests ( not because I need to know who they are but CR4 does to ban the unruly ); Maybe a different hierarchy than gurus but other than social butterflies being nodes who seem to know everyone I'm out of my league computer socialising wise.

CR4 has been my engineering network and I have made good friends and contacts here. The goal as I see it is to make that easy while limiting frustration and miss-communication (and she can be a real pain). I have never felt a need to Face Book or other but if that is a positive direction to my networking and growth I'm all ears.(ok keyboard and eyes)

I do know that people do not like being taken out of their comfort zone but to grow the must, so they need a better rut (tech term) to fall into, out of their known one. To much change to fast and many will balk (additional tech term).

So my next suggestion it make a long term flexible plan and implement it in swallow able stages. Flexible because social engineering of engineers is a dynamic that makes governments nervous. Engineers as a rule are independent, highly intelligent in at least one dynamic, question authority or anybody or thing else for that matter, and like to act not just talk.

You have a brain pool of unlimited ability to create this with if you can organise it constructively. I would add charismatically but I've never seen you make anything but a well thought out statement. Very rare in this day and age.

So in a nut shell what is in it for CR4 to grow and what is in it for CR4s members to enjoy. Combine the two for a win-win.

Long winded

Brad

Hi Chris,

Papered Engineer or practical engineer? what difference it makes if person with vast experience participates in the blog?. He is shararing freely his practical knowledge, there are many skilled people throughout the world who have much deeper knowledge than qualified engineer because he has spent many years in the feild and have gained engineering expertise.

It doesnt any difference to me if person is qualified or certified to contribute in the Blog.

Omg topic has suddenly changed to politics. Would you all give answers to what Chris is asking so that he can design blog accordingly.