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What do I say? Help me out...

cstanton

Last week I had to take some time out of work for a hospital appointment (I'm ok, don't worry) for a check up, and to ease the anxiety and stress of it I get into some idle chat with the medical staff (they're pretty awesome) and partly to pass the time.

 

Part of the discussion comes up where I'm asked:

 

"What do you do for work?"

 

And I explain I'm part of a team that works on the element14 Community, and then that's where the difficulty starts.

 

"What's the element14 Community?"

 

And I'm like... well, where do I start to describe what the element14 Community is to someone else? Just what do I say?

 

I figured I'd ask you fellow members, what do you say when you/how do you describe the element14 Community to other people?

 

Because I feel like I need some help here.

  •    When I refer to e14, I call it an electronics forum.  I think "forum" captures the online aspect and the exchange of information aspect.  "Community" still means "in-person" to a lot of folks I deal with.  I tell them it's everything from programming to building electronic gadgets - because I typically speak to people that do electronics as a hobby more so than a day job.

  • Something like:

     

    "I oversee aspects of an international online forum for all disciplines of engineering that is provided by a company called Avnet, who are one of the biggest global distributors of electronic and engineering components. The forum is free to anyone to sign up and share ideas and thoughts. It's really friendly and often refered to as an online community...you should check it out sometime if you are interested. We've often got several free online courses or fun competitions running at any given time."

  • If limited to a word or two I would call it an electronics forum although that does not capture the full breadth.  The range of topics, contests, educational material, and projects is huge. But what distinguishes it from others is the welcoming and non-judgmental nature of the members. I have been amazed and humbled by the encouragement, advice and suggestions given to me over the years on my projects and learning journey.

  • Hi Christopher,

     

    I can imagine, sometimes it's easier just to change/tweak the job title to suit the person you're talking to, e.g. 'Manager' is more easier for some people to understand rather than 'Community Manager'.

    If it were me, I'd probably refer to it as a society or an official group or body for the engineering profession (since people have heard of the Legal profession etc), and that you manage it. Probably none of us would mind if you referred to it as you being the Manager of the League of Extraordinary Engineers or something : )

  • For me element14 community is the spirit of the first usenet forums carried over to the 21st century. Respect for others, desire to teach, help and learn together. Good guys.

  • It has been called a forum for a long time, but I never thought it was a good description.

    Using the language of non-members I would say:

    element 14 is a social media platform where members create technical content, learn about technology and discuss technology

    This is a bit of a mouthful, and the audience may be glazing over before the description is completed, but I find it too incomplete if it is distilled down further.

    If they want more information, tell them how many members it has. If they are still awake, you could describe the main sections, but would probably be better off describing why you are passionate about it..

  • E14 is a web community that supports individuals interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The site provides resources designed to entertain, engage and enlighten members. Communities are built on people. The community members of E14 are not only welcoming but are another resources that members can draw on. I (CS) am part of a team that is both a resource and support to the community.

  • Perhaps you say say that you run a pub ...

    • but the pub doesn't physically exist ... it's online.
    • it's a place where people get together and have a chat ... but it's mainly focused on electronics.
    • but it doesn't serve alcohol ... but it does provide knowledge and tidbits.

     

    - Gough

  • in reply to Gough Lui

    I like where this is going. I would suggest "water hole" rather than pub. My search of the term, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watering_hole_attack  gives me cause to reconsider the suggestion. Let's stick with what the Aussie put forward.

  • If you want to keep it short and are talking to someone with a sense of humor you could say "I herd techie cats on the internet".....image