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  • Author Author: dougw
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2020 - a good year for hindsight

dougw

Somewhere in the last 2 years I lost the plot. I thought I would share my experience in case it benefits other members. One of my goals in the past 2 years has been to get nominated for member of the year, but I have not been able to figure out what it takes.

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The first metric I thought was important was participation. I addressed this by reading virtually everything that was published on the forum and commenting whenever I could contribute something useful. It definitely takes a lot of time to wade through all the material generated on the site. I also participated in the badges program and so far I have 115 badges. All this participation resulted in well over 100,000 points per year. 8 of my blogs in the last 2 years have exceeded 10,000 views.

Another metric I thought would count is participation in design challenges, which take a huge amount of time and require lots of blogs. I successfully completed 5 design challenges in the last 2 years, winning 2 of them.

A third metric I figured would count is Project14 participation. In the past couple of years I have participated in about 14 Project14 contests, winning about 3 of them. I don't really try to win all these contests, because I don't think that would look good, but I like to boost the activity in this corner of the forum.

A fourth metric I thought would count is road tests. In the past couple of years I have won about 9 road tests. (which is every one that I applied for) I have been refraining from applying for more, especially high-end instrumentation because I don't want to hog all the great free equipment.

Another metric which I like a lot, although I don't think it carries any weight, is circuit design. In the past 2 years my blogs have featured at least 27 custom PCBs that I designed.

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It is clear that this level of participation is not adequate to get nominated, so either:

  • I am not doing the right things
  • I am not doing enough of the right things
  • I am not doing the right things with sufficient quality
  • What I do is not popular enough
  • I am doing something that is frowned upon

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I have not received any feedback that I am doing something wrong and I cannot spend more time and effort on element14 - there just aren't any more hours available. Basically my current approach is not working, and I cannot do more, so I need to stop expecting better results. Which means I can stop doing what I was doing and how I was doing it.

It has already been quite liberating. I no longer feel obligated to read all content on the forum and I will be spending a lot less time generating videos and blogs, which will leave a lot more time to work on projects, even if they go unpublished. Imagine how much time it took to edit and publish 165 videos in the last 2 years.

I don't want to give the impression I have a complaint with element14 - it is the greatest forum, with a superb staff who do all the right things and I have enjoyed lots of success on the forum in the last 2 years. Really enjoyed it. It is just this one little goal where I screwed up, so if you have any insight into what it takes to get nominated for MotY, articulate them in the comments below.

  • in reply to dougw

    Hi Doug,

     

    I used to think I was funny too. That was 35 years ago and it didn't take long for Mrs John to straighten me out on that misconception. Now I have a chuckle with the only guy that understands and then I keep it to myself.

     

    John

  • in reply to colporteur

    I will certainly try to answer. I participate on element14 in numerous ways, just like everyone else, and for all the same reasons as everyone else. I enjoy it and get a lot out of it, just like everyone else. In my blogs I explore all kinds of things like "why don't members participate more?" or "what does it take for projects to be done by partners?".

    At the beginning of the year I was wondering if I might get nominated, as one might, but when the Azure Sphere project stalled everything for 6 months I stopped wondering. At the end of the year I brought that thought back as an exploration of what it takes to get nominated for MotY (not to win MotY mind you, just get nominated) I made a hypothesis and looked up my own stats to see if the hypothesis was correct (it wasn't). I used my stats because I thought it would be a supremely bad idea to dig up someone else's stats and imply failure. Incidentally none of the activities in my hypothesis are linked to the MotY nominations, they all have a completely different set of motives for participation (as you point out). My conclusion that you can't use these stats as a formula for a MotY nomination doesn't mean their original benefits and motives are invalid. They are all still there.

    Somehow as I tried to make it a humorous story of my failed hypothesis, I seem to have given the impression that I was obsessed with the MotY and since I failed, I was going to pout, pack up my ball and go home. That 'ain't hapnin' - I have way too much fun here to give it up.

    I did learn something about the MotY through all the comments and learned I have to be careful about trying to be funny - it is not my strong suit.

  • I would rather be just returning from the bar, at your favourite water hole, holding your preferred beverage before starting this discussion. The discussion has the risk of going off the rails real fast if the participants are unable to suspend judgement.

     

    Let me say first, I enjoy your participation. At times your responses blow me away. My feelings boarder on envy. HTF would he know that! HS he also knew the other stuff. I've been in technology for 40 years and can't recall my password. He calls stuff out like he has a photographic memory.

     

    In no way do I want to diminish what you are feeling. I understand disappointment. I have experienced frustration. I have wanted to resign.

    Can you help me understand why MotY for Element14 would be of importance?

     

    I once asked a friend, who was very faith attached, would he continue to do what he does if there was no heaven.  My goal, in asking the question was to understand why he did things he did for his faith. He refused to answer the question.

     

    I would be surprised to discover your contributions to the community were only done with the focus of MotY. Surely you got something out of your contributions? If you did not, I recommend you stop doing it. Unless you gain something from your participation, that is yours alone and not dependent on someone or something else, you will continue to hurt.

     

    I see your response to not achieving MotY, similar to those people failing to secure a RoadTest Review. They resign to not participating because they can't figure out how to be successful. Success defined as being awarded the review. WGS! The journey was important wasn't it? RoadTest Reviews are just seed for thinking, who cares if you win. It would be nice but for a brief moment I got to dream of the wonderful thing I built using the free stuff.

  • in reply to tariq.ahmad

    I never really expect to be successful in any of the project14 things I get involved with because as far as I am concerned I am just messing about and having fun. I just like pottering about: in the garden, on Element14 and wandering about outside breathing fresh (town) air and seeing the sights. I was astonished to be 'Influencer of the Year 2019' and just really happy. I've not really social mediaed before Element14 and I do not really know what most of this stuff is all about - Blogging and Licking - much to my children's amusement.

     

    As far as I am concerned I have done my bit for society as a whole, voted in elections, had my children, paid my taxes. looked out for my neighbours (a bit anyway) now I just enjoy making the stuff and sticking it on Element14. If anybody else Licks it as well then that's just great.

     

    Dubbie

  • Doug, as other's have said - you're a great member, contributor, and very helpful.  Peeking at the inbox here probably every couple of hours of the day this last year, you'd definitely be on my very short list - particularly, because you don't show up in surges and disappear, but are a steady daily contributor.

     

    So, here's my take on it - a guy once told me, the difference between satisfaction and disappointment is expectation.  I find that with the model at e14, the expectation can't be to hit a certain set of marks to achieve a given prize (outside of the points system).

     

    I find element14 as a community similar to work leagues for sports.  It's very much like my bowling league I was on a few years back.

     

    Experienced players and the rookies all join together for fun.  The experienced one's mentor the rookies - show them how to hit their marks versus throw at the "pins".  The rookies get a handicap perk via the points system growth curve pumping them quickly up the ladder.  If you participate in e14 challenges, you get trophies even when you don't win.  Judging criteria is loose so you never know who will be on top due to the variety of judges' interests and critique styles.

     

    The way e14 rolls has been the way organizations have grown and sustained memberships for centuries, I imagine.  The experienced enthusiasts get their reward from the camaraderie of like minded soles versus the reaffirming wins.  Often, when things start becoming too bureaucratic, the participants will narrow down to a totally different culture.

     

    Such a shift in culture that might not hook the top 50 members that exist today.  For instance, I don't chase Hackster, Instructables, or Stack Exchange.  Those communities have very strict guidelines that prove out mojo - but aren't for me at all.  For some reason, I enjoy not knowing what I'm doing, researching it, and then bestowing what I learned with the opportunity to get some swag. 

     

    In short, my assessment of the community awards, the points system, and the challenges, isn't about the winner here - more of a celebration of the traits of the community.

     

    See ya',

    Sean

     

     

    PS.  For the record - I've never scored a single road test - that segment of the site clearly isn't handicapped for the electronics rookie like me and you should definitely count those trophies.