Developed by engineers for engineers.
Help - Your input on using "web 2.0" to help make engineering sexy
Okay, maybe "sexy" is a stretch (though the popular Science Cheerleader blog does have a catalogue of sexy scientists and engineers...here.)
We recently put out a report - which you can read for free here - on improving public understanding of engineering. The next phase of this project is to develop, with significant engineering community input, an online “toolkit” which would have messaging-related resources, community-building applications, the ability to facilitate dialog between organizations that have developed implementation strategies for the new engineering messages, etc. etc.
All of you are have made it at least to Ning so have some facility with "social media" and web 2.0. We would love to get your input on what this "toolkit" would look like...what site would work well...Ning? Google Wave? Friendfeed? What type of site would work well? What would you want to see on it if you were to use it or try to help "sexy up" the profession to the general public.
Thanks...as you all represent the engineering community, we hope you can help.
We recently put out a report - which you can read for free here - on improving public understanding of engineering. The next phase of this project is to develop, with significant engineering community input, an online “toolkit” which would have messaging-related resources, community-building applications, the ability to facilitate dialog between organizations that have developed implementation strategies for the new engineering messages, etc. etc.
All of you are have made it at least to Ning so have some facility with "social media" and web 2.0. We would love to get your input on what this "toolkit" would look like...what site would work well...Ning? Google Wave? Friendfeed? What type of site would work well? What would you want to see on it if you were to use it or try to help "sexy up" the profession to the general public.
Thanks...as you all represent the engineering community, we hope you can help.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Scott McCafferty on
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What's wrong with helping to grow this community? It seems like its growing rather quickly - little by little .....
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Permalink Reply by Brandon Teachman on -
I may be reading into your question, but i think this has to be a large multi phased project not just creating a web site. If I was going to approach the situation and have a long term solution, i would do the below (In that order).
1) Get Industry Expert Buy In - The only way i see this working is to have multiple respected industry experts who are well respected support your cause. In this case i would go with Jim Pinto, Gary Mitchell, Company CEOs, magazine editors, etc. Most of these people have blogs, podcasts, or just talking to co-workers.
2) Get Buy In From Industry Vendors, Manufactures, and Magazines - This has a lot of benefits to this. If all the industry magazines put a 1/4 page advertisement in the magazine and a banner on there web site you wold get large exposure.
3) Get Kids started early. The schools are not teaching it, there are decent web sites existing, but they do not get support from industry resources. The manufactures should work together to make test stations (Like Rockwell does for Automation Fair) and let the schools rent them. The magazine companies could work together and publish a single magazine every 4 months that helps get kids interested. Just send the magazine to every school.
Children are the future, and most people in the industry do not seam to be noticing we have less people going into the industry. What are we going to do as the baby boomers retire.
4) Web 2.0, this in my opinion is the lowest of priorities in making engineering sexy. With out getting people interested in engineering first they will never find the web site in the first place.
A) A Slick lay out, i know this sound stupid but if you have a choice Fox News or an old fashion text based news site you are going to go to Fox News.
B) Forums, I think this site does a fine job of of forums. The Group method they have used is my preference.
C) Blogs for users (Like this web site)
D) Industry news and articles (Goes with industry buy in) and the ability to comment on them.
E) Ability to control content. I don't want to see forums, posts, articles, etc . for things i am not interested in.
F) If you can get buy in from Vendors it would be great to have a single site to find parts. Like PriceGraber.com is for computer parts (and other stuff now). This would make it much easier to find out of date parts.
G) A pod cast (or more then one) that the hosts are prepared, engaged, and enthusiastic about there job. If there is one please let me know. I am thinking one like Manager-Tools.com, Harvard Business, BusinessWeek, etc.
F) Training. Video, audio, etc ways to develop your supports. Train some one and they will go to your product before learning some thing new.
Good Luck.
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Permalink Reply by National Academy of Engineering on -
Brandon - thanks so much for that very thorough feedback...much appreciated. Keep them coming, Exchangers!
Scott - I love this place but just not sure if it has everything we want...we'll probably ultimately end up building our own site.
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