Knowledge Management using Forums/Discussion Groups
Knowledge Management using Forums/Discussion Groups
(OP)
At my last employer the company operated a discussion group system internally across the intranet. This was very similar to Eng-tips in its usage and content.
Every few months the Knowledge Management Team would provide details of how well the sites were being used. One common point that was raised that the number of people who would post on the forum was about 10-20% of the total people who actually read them.
Eng-tips has 487,000 members with over 17,000 posts a month and that got me wondering. Why is it that lots of people read a forum but only a small percentage will contribute? Is this a confidence thing or does it require a specific type of person to want to try and help solve a strangers problem?
Every few months the Knowledge Management Team would provide details of how well the sites were being used. One common point that was raised that the number of people who would post on the forum was about 10-20% of the total people who actually read them.
Eng-tips has 487,000 members with over 17,000 posts a month and that got me wondering. Why is it that lots of people read a forum but only a small percentage will contribute? Is this a confidence thing or does it require a specific type of person to want to try and help solve a strangers problem?





RE: Knowledge Management using Forums/Discussion Groups
Re company discussion forums, yes my previous employer had one too. EngTips is populated with volunteers, i.e. by defition people who think it's fun to read and post things in a forum. A large portion of the company discussion forums populations consist of people who don't think it's fun, but go there from time to time if they need an answer to a specific question. This also means that a company discussion forum needs a certain critical mass, otherwise the occasional users never find what they need and the population of active users will always be limited to the people who think it's fun (and have nothing more urgent to do
RE: Knowledge Management using Forums/Discussion Groups
I guess it does take a special type of person to help a stranger with their problem, but imho engineers are a special type of people!.
In my own use of Eng-Tips I find that the questions are usualy answered well by some very active subscribers and the MVPs, it then seems that adding further comments (to the technical queries) is superfluous.
Some of the more open and discursive threads are just great for an ongoing dialogue for opinions and experiences to be shared, I love reading them, but it does seem as though the participants are known to each other and that with the banter it feels just a little like eavesdropping on a group of friends! so I'd say there is a confidence thing about it too.
Of course there are also many folks who just have deadlines to meet and don't have the time to do anything but search out a specific solution, I've gone a couple of months between visits on many occasions.
I also subscribe to some forums that I have little or no professional connection to, but find it fascinating to see what sort of problems and solutions others are faced with. These I would not readily respond to unless I had some expertise that would be of use.
How about you, what would you say your use or participation is like?
RE: Knowledge Management using Forums/Discussion Groups
I think the point I was making/or was pointed out to me was that there are (probably) readers out there in forum-land who read the posts but dont contribute even if they know the answer. Myself, even if someone has answered a question I might still put in two pence worth.
This might be as a result of the fact that it was a company forum, and in that respect different to eng-tips. It would be interesting to know out of the 487,000 members how many were classed as 'active'.
RE: Knowledge Management using Forums/Discussion Groups
If you make a mistake in your company's forum, it could affect your career.
If you make a mistake in Eng-Tips, someone (or everyone) corrects you, you learn, and go on.
"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?
RE: Knowledge Management using Forums/Discussion Groups
If I know the answer of a particular posting of course I fill happy in replying! The same way when I post a question I like to be answered. This is a vast forum with a good criticism background, with people from different cultures, which in my point of view add value to the discussion. A company forum is another thing, is a little bit a “fair of vanities” without enough critical mass to give a sincere opinion.
Long life to Eng-Tips!
RE: Knowledge Management using Forums/Discussion Groups
I take the opportunity to make public my apologies because of some misunderstanding from my site in being impolite to you on de discussion of the “future of mass transportation”
As you always end your replies with:
"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?
I supposed that with your statement you are warning me because of an improper posting or something like that. Excuse me my misunderstanding
Once again my apologies
Luis Marques
RE: Knowledge Management using Forums/Discussion Groups
If my postings have helped, I am glad.
If my postings have offended, or are incorrect, any notification to those effects are required/deserved.
Once again, no apologies are required.
"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?
RE: Knowledge Management using Forums/Discussion Groups
I would be interested to know how epoisses thinks forum driven achievements could be rewarded? And what is a forum driven achievement, or a REAL achievement? To me it sounds like management gobbedygook, but I claim the right to be the first to use the acronym FDA if it helps me up that greasy pole.
corus
RE: Knowledge Management using Forums/Discussion Groups
If run correctly, such a forum can be a way to get "out of the box" thinking and contributions.
TTFN
RE: Knowledge Management using Forums/Discussion Groups
Of course, all this is done at the risk of the process turning against itself and becoming a reporting exercise rather than real engineering work.
RE: Knowledge Management using Forums/Discussion Groups
RE: Knowledge Management using Forums/Discussion Groups
RE: Knowledge Management using Forums/Discussion Groups
Firstly sufficient answers are often provided by others before I've read the thread, so adding info later doesn't seem worth it.
Secondly, a lot are very US based and therefore UK info is often not relevant.
Finally, on a couple of occasions where I have given my considered opinion I have been shot down in flames by a number of other posters. Not because what I've said is incorrect but because they simply don't agree and can't take the time to consider that a different opinion might be worth consideration. Now I don't need this in my life ! Don't get me wrong, if I am wrong the correct me but don't shoot if you simply don't agree with my opinion, there is really no need.
RE: Knowledge Management using Forums/Discussion Groups
I don't post that often because I'm not that horribly experienced. There are certain people in Chemical and Refining with centuries of experience and centuries of time to edit a pages-long and extremely accurate and helpful post, I usually can't add much with my 2 cents...
RE: Knowledge Management using Forums/Discussion Groups
Out if interest, I wonder if there is a correlation between the the type of person according to their team character (from the social scientist - Belbin?) and their forum activity.
RE: Knowledge Management using Forums/Discussion Groups
If you feel that a response is inappropriate, and Eng-Tips does actively discourage flame wars, you can "Red Flag" the post and notify the administrators that a response is inappropriate. They will handle it.
"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?
RE: Knowledge Management using Forums/Discussion Groups
Actually, I'm not surprised at all, now.
I spent 6 months in 1984 on a "tiger team" trying to solve a problem that had been solved and published in the IBM Systems Journal in 1971.
TTFN
RE: Knowledge Management using Forums/Discussion Groups
This is definitely the most professional and polite forum I've seen.
RE: Knowledge Management using Forums/Discussion Groups
corus
RE: Knowledge Management using Forums/Discussion Groups
I've wondered that about a lot of the discussion forums I've been on. It seems like a lot of people sit on the sidelines and don't get involved.
I imagine there are a lot of members in that 487,000 number that NEVER visit the site though. A lot of people may have signed up and forgot this place existed and then never really returned. Or they stuck around for a month and got bored and then left and don't ever read these posts anymore.