I'm more than pleased to post my second Moderator Spotlight which is our way to thank and highlight significant community moderators. Our current moderator spotlight is grzegorz.glowacki. Grzegorz is a very enthusiastic community member and a savvy moderator (especially for the PI & SOA space) who is well known for his passion for SCN and helping others. I'm sure you will enjoy the interview I had with him (attached below).
Please share with the Community a little about yourself:
I was born and raised in Poznań, Poland, where I still live. It's a very nice city that I would recommend everyone to visit when they come to Poland. I started working with SAP quite early, at the age of 20, right after graduating from the 2nd year of my studies. I am grateful to my first boss for employing a greenhorn with hardly any work experience. I hope I proved him right and he still considers it a good decision (greetings, Michal!).
I consider myself fortunate to be with constantly passion to what I do. But it's definitely not my only passion. I've been doing lots of sports since I can remember: football, volleyball, swimming, badminton and squash. Name it, I played it for sure. However, for the last seven years, my main activity was simply running. I already took part in two marathons and around twenty half-marathons and this year I decided to try something new by signing up to a triathlon (half-Ironman!). It is scheduled for August 4th in my hometown. After the even I can share some more feelings about it, but I already know it brought a lot of diversity to my training. I also enjoy good rock music and board games.
When did you join the SCN community?
I signed up in 2008 when I started working for SAP, but actively joined SCN in the beginning of 2012. So I have been a real SCN member for only the last one and half years.
What motivates you? Why did you join?
My first contribution was a blog, where I simply wanted to share my recent experience with a poorly documented feature. Then it all started. I think I was just curious about how much more I could share, achieve and learn on my own. Less than a year later I was awarded a Topic Leader for the Process Integration (PI) & SOA Middleware space, and that felt really rewarding! I really believe every minute spent in SCN is worth it!
Why do you moderate? What spaces do you moderate?
I think it was naturally the next step to take. Right after being awarded the Topic Leader title in the PI & SOA space , I was asked to become a Moderator. I didn't even hesitate, knowing it would bring a new dimension to my involvement in SCN, and I definitely don't regret it.
What do you think is most important in your moderation?
I try to combine two important principles. The First is to take care of the entire PI space and do my best to make it a nice place. On the other hand, I always try to stay helpful for individual users.
What are the differences between moderating a small vs. a large community?
It should be pretty much the same. The only difference is the number of users, questions, threads and etc. This also increases the amount of the time that moderators have to spend doing their job. I think in a smaller community, members could get to know each other better, since they would always see same faces next to the posts. But on the other hand, size brings diversity and attracts more audiences. As far as I know, PI & SOA are the most active spaces in SCN, and that is what I personally enjoy there.
If you could offer one bit of advice to new members or new moderators what would it be and why?
I think I am one myselfJ . But I already have a piece of advice for everyone joining: dive deep into it. The more you get involved, the more you'll like it and the more it will pay back. Read, search, follow, comment, ask when you need help, and don't forget to help others too. Also show your appreciation to those that help you.
For moderators: don't forget to get in touch with fellow moderators. There's a lot to learn from them. In addition also show your own ideas and your "fresh view" since could lead to positive changes.
How has the SCN community helped you?
First of all, I really learned a lot about PI and systems integration in SCN and I am still learning every day. This is one of the best things in SCN: that you never stop getting to know new things. It also helps to widen your perspectives. "Jump out" of your own project for a while and see some other problems and their solutions. I also like the fact that where there iare two people there are three opinions on how a given problem can be solved:).
How are you finding the new SCN?
At first, I was a little lost, but then I not only found all the options I was previously using, but also a lot more. Since then I have never missed the old platform. Now with the Gamification platform it's even more entertaining, addictive I could even say.
Is there another moderator or community member that you've found incredibly helpful?
Definitely Michał Krawczyk. His involvement in my space has always been very inspiring for me.
If you were 20 again, what would you study?
Well, I'm 25 now and only graduated from the university a year ago. Today I can say that it was an excellent choice to study IT and econometrics in Poznań University of Economics. It gave me a solid background to understand both the technical and the business aspects of my everyday job. If I had to pick again I would choose the same.
How do you think the way you were raised affected your Career?
I have always learned that hard work pays off, and I strongly believe it to be true. Then I also discovered that positive thinking is equally important. The "yes you can" approach can really give amazing results.
If you were not in your current position, what/where would you be and why?
Two options are possible. I would either be a football star or a guitar player in a rock band. However it would be hard to beat Lionel Messi and Joe Satriani, so probably the job I'm currently working at is best for me:).
Moshe: Thanks to Grzegorz for this very interesting interview. Please feel free to ask more questions and share your feedback via the comments section below.
Be sure to check out previous interviews in the moderator spotlight showcase.
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