Deep Thoughts – Daily work and the SAP Community

So just how do you work the community into your “daily” work?   I was asked how I used the community on a blog post I wrote.  As always, my comment became very long.  So I decided to make it into a blog!  Cool right?  How a comment can drive a blog?

So my “daily” work:

Sign onto my computer – HA! Bet you do this too.

Check my work e-mail.

Verify my work and due dates.  Sometimes I’m sent an e-mail with work that is due last week or ASAP.  Sometimes I am deep into a project.  Some projects go into many, many off-work hours.  At that point.  STOP! No community for me.

Wait, I might have a question.  I might have bookmarked a blog that will help.  In that case I visit quickly and leave.  Consuming the rich knowledge that is here.

I don’t have pressing work issues

Yes, of course there is always something at work.  But I take my hour of training time if needed and explore the community.  Or sign on an hour early, and check things out.

Check blogs

There aren’t a lot of blogs if you check them daily.  So I just look through them all.  If a title interests me,  I check it out.  If it is something I may use or use in the future – I bookmark it.

There is a lot of everything out there.  Interesting blogs not just about SAP, but about your career in general.

Next a great community member, Joachim Rees ,  told me, “If you like a blog comment”.  Someone has taken the time to write that blog, and would love to see comments.   So I try to leave a quick comment.  Sometimes, I can’t think of anything to say so I just click on the “Like Button” at the top of the page.  Sometimes I disagree, then I still comment. Sometimes…  Well you get the picture.

Blog comments – What’s in it for me?

Those people that wrote the interesting blog will have some encouragement to continue to blog.

Positive comments about the subject might mean that they blog more about it.  And I learn more.  By the way a positive comment doesn’t mean I agree with the blog.

I disagree with the blog.  So I comment about what I disagree on.  That doesn’t mean I comment, “You are wrong”.   It means I comment – I disagree because…  Hopefully that will generate some interesting discussion. in the comments.  Sometimes the comments make me change my mind.  Sometimes, I still disagree, but I learn a lot more.

I don’t think what is written is correct.  Perhaps it is a development solution and it uses an old technique.  I comment about it it.  Basically I suggest that XYZ should be ABC.  I don’t say you are so stupid, or don’t you know better.  Why?  Because I can guarantee at some point I have written XYZ.  Also think about how brave that person was to write the blog.  Add to that there are about 1000 different ways a person can do the same thing in SAP.  Perhaps my way is not correct.  Or perhaps my way can’t be done on different versions of SAP.

So at the end of all these words…  Blog comments help me learn more about the subject.

Next Question and Answers

Those are harder.  I do have my strengths and I try to visit those.  I look through the days questions or as much of it as I can.  I can usually tell what I can answer and what I can’t.  Remember if you had a question and someone answered, you save time.  So now you have some to answer questions.  Pay it forward.

Some questions are written with the details that I can help.  Some have been asked many times.  Those I answer and try to give them a way to search.   Then I try to answer.  Some I have questions on the question and I may comment.

If you have a question and someone answered mark it accepted and close it.  There are many blogs and pages about how to do this.  I like this one.

At this point I’m not going to put a lot about writing questions here.  I have written about them indirectly and so have so many other people.  Question writing is an art.

My personal opinion has not been changed from the above blog – the only bad question is the question that hasn’t been asked.  And yes, please do some research prior to asking.  Okay. Moving on.

What else?  Well at that point I usually move on to my work for the day.  <Sigh> of course I’d much rather play here.

But wait there is more.   When I have the chance.

Tutorials!

There are more of them than I need.  But they are excellent resources.  They are quick to do and easy to finish.  If you don’t have the system then you can create one.

And to really get some great training I go to open SAP.  Free SAP training courses.  I try to get to the ones that will help my job.

Coffee Corner

All the cool kids hang out here.  Just kidding.  This is an area of just plain fun discussion.  It brings the community together.  It also helps you get to know different community members that “play” here.  It’s not a daily stop for me either.  But I do have fun with some of the discussions when I can.

Questions and Blogs Revisited

As time permits, I write blogs.  I’m trying to follow DJ Adams  lead.  In other words, I’m trying to blog more.  I’m also trying to release my blogs on Wednesday.  Deep thoughts?  Perhaps.  Sometimes things just are on my mind.  Sometimes, I have written a comment and want to write more.  Sometimes…  Well again you get the picture.

Yes, I also ask questions too.  Not surprisingly, I usually get some great ideas or answers.  Sometimes I don’t get a complete answer but it points me in the right direction.  Sometimes I write my question incorrectly, and it needs to be fixed.

Back at you!

So do you use the community differently?  Do you use anything that I don’t?  Comment away.