Techy? Sometimes. Funny? Often. Relevant? Always.

I’m going to take a break from my normally-technical blog posts.  Recently, I was reading through a few threads on one of the mailing lists I subscribe to, and I came across a wealth of information on a particular subject that I otherwise wouldn’t have been exposed to.  The subject of the discussion threads is unimportant to the topic at hand; the key lesson here is that community involvement can tremendously help people stay informed in whatever field they’re involved.

I’m specifically advocating local community groups that share expertise in areas of mutual interest.  These groups can be something as simple as a mailing list on which people collaborate on issues they’re facing or topics they’d like to discuss with like-minded people.  Some groups have formal meetings where people give presentations and have Q&A sessions.  Some collaborative groups may even be sponsored by commercial entities that have a vested interest in ensuring that these groups continue to exist.

But don’t simply read the mailing list, or sit there passively in the meetings: get involved!  Offer assistance to people when you see they’re having problems.  If you have something you’ve found to be useful in your area of expertise, contribute to your local group(s).  The great thing about this concept is that it has been so successful in so many different fields.  Technical, business, artistic, and even hobby groups exist to help people collaborate.  I might even call it a viral concept.  I’ve personally benefitted a great deal by several groups in my area, and I hope I can also contribute something to these groups in the coming days.