Editorial: Internet Communication for R&M Professionals
Howard W Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP
howard@motordoc.com
http://twitter.com/motordoc
It probably started when my kids introduced me to Facebook. I set up a profile and ‘made friends’ with them more to keep an eye on what was going on and to help keep them safe from the predators that I kept hearing about on the news. I didn’t think much about it, other than someone else was using my trademarked ‘motordoc’ nickname. But, what the heck, it was only social networking. I primarily used it to search for people and see what was going on, but not too much on the professional side. No presence from our industry, it seemed, even from my professional society duties with IEEE.
Then, one day last year I received a request from a friend from high school to join something called ‘facebook.’ So, I joined and exchanged a little information with him, but others saw me on there and suddenly I have a mix of friends from over 20 years ago, business associates, and complete strangers interested in what is going on. Over the past few months I have been back in touch with and hung out with friends I had not seen in decades, literally.
I suppose it might have started for us, in our industry with AMP (Association for Maintenance Professionals – maintenance.org) and placing lecture and other videos on YouTube.com. I used the latter for promoting my books and training and I am now expanding further, including grabbing resources for AllAmericanHybrid.com and MotorDoc.com.
Then came LinkedIn.com and Twitter.com very quickly. Now I am finding that I am posting updates on what I am up to several times per day. In fact, I found that I was able to access my Outlook and other email contact lists to request that they join and follow along with me. While my lists are not growing as quickly as some (the time involved in paying attention to this stuff is significant), I am finding new and different ways to connect to people and get information out quickly.
Are there dangers? Sure thing. Even from the business aspect, I am potentially exposing my contacts to competitors (mostly wanna-be’s, but it still can be a nuisance). However, even more importantly, we are putting out information about what we are up to that moment, which can potentially cause trouble. My opinion is that caution and thought are necessary, but the benefits of quick and dirty communication are fantastic. Even with present job losses in all industries – someone can get online, get ahold of their contacts, and hear about job opportunities or projects in minutes. And with the number of people doing so, and sharing similar experiences, it makes for a great way to feel that you are not alone.
Come join me:
· http://twitter.com/motordoc (keeping up to date)
· http://www.myspace.com/mtrdoc (fun/entertainment)
· http://www.linkedin.com/in/motordoc (professional)
· http://www.motordoc.com/mdmhblog/
Want to follow, but concerned or need link? help@motordoc.com
howard@motordoc.com
http://twitter.com/motordoc
It probably started when my kids introduced me to Facebook. I set up a profile and ‘made friends’ with them more to keep an eye on what was going on and to help keep them safe from the predators that I kept hearing about on the news. I didn’t think much about it, other than someone else was using my trademarked ‘motordoc’ nickname. But, what the heck, it was only social networking. I primarily used it to search for people and see what was going on, but not too much on the professional side. No presence from our industry, it seemed, even from my professional society duties with IEEE.
Then, one day last year I received a request from a friend from high school to join something called ‘facebook.’ So, I joined and exchanged a little information with him, but others saw me on there and suddenly I have a mix of friends from over 20 years ago, business associates, and complete strangers interested in what is going on. Over the past few months I have been back in touch with and hung out with friends I had not seen in decades, literally.
I suppose it might have started for us, in our industry with AMP (Association for Maintenance Professionals – maintenance.org) and placing lecture and other videos on YouTube.com. I used the latter for promoting my books and training and I am now expanding further, including grabbing resources for AllAmericanHybrid.com and MotorDoc.com.
Then came LinkedIn.com and Twitter.com very quickly. Now I am finding that I am posting updates on what I am up to several times per day. In fact, I found that I was able to access my Outlook and other email contact lists to request that they join and follow along with me. While my lists are not growing as quickly as some (the time involved in paying attention to this stuff is significant), I am finding new and different ways to connect to people and get information out quickly.
Are there dangers? Sure thing. Even from the business aspect, I am potentially exposing my contacts to competitors (mostly wanna-be’s, but it still can be a nuisance). However, even more importantly, we are putting out information about what we are up to that moment, which can potentially cause trouble. My opinion is that caution and thought are necessary, but the benefits of quick and dirty communication are fantastic. Even with present job losses in all industries – someone can get online, get ahold of their contacts, and hear about job opportunities or projects in minutes. And with the number of people doing so, and sharing similar experiences, it makes for a great way to feel that you are not alone.
Come join me:
· http://twitter.com/motordoc (keeping up to date)
· http://www.myspace.com/mtrdoc (fun/entertainment)
· http://www.linkedin.com/in/motordoc (professional)
· http://www.motordoc.com/mdmhblog/
Want to follow, but concerned or need link? help@motordoc.com
To view the complete eMagazine: http://www.motordoc.com/news/20090303mdmhnews.pdf
Labels: facebook, internet, linkedin, myspace, social network, twitter
posted by MotorDoc at
7:03 PM
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