* How did you start?

actually, i started quite some time ago as a knowledge manager for a finance corporate intranet. i was responsible for growing the community of interest, but it didn't really take off. what i learned is that within a corporation there is a fair amount of internal censorship and 'innocent' content takes on new meanings. internet has always been for me about opening new channels of communication and this hasn't really changed.

* Did you collaborate with other members from the community? With whom? Via what service?

yes, i have collaborated mainly through forums, SAP Notes, wikis, and the blog space. i appreciate others' sharing of links and the mini tutorials that they sometimes create. i, from my end, try to share my knowledge , too.

* How long did it take? How often did you try? What did help you? Or what did you miss?

 

my "posting cycle" takes  from a few days to up to a week, some of the drafts took five or more times. i missed mostly my anchor tags and other parts of the blog. i am also missing actual editing feedback beyond simple rejection or acceptance of my post. i have more time to post if work and family don't claim my time, so my postings come in spurts like weekends or between projects. the biggest help has been seeing others post and remain active.

* Any gaps, you identified? What content or topics are missing? What kinds of collaboration are you still seeking? Just your topics not being properly addressed?

the biggest missing point is the lack of a instant messaging within sdn, the one i liked most so far has been "babble" by ibm. i would definitely appreciate access to sap software, but i think it will eventually come. my area is very narrow and i realize that not too many sdners share my interest.

* Did the distinct audiences / communities help you in finding the information you needed, or would you prefer a single audience/community interface?

 

different audiences and communities are fine as each has its own perspective. i still rely on the software itself and the official SAP Notes. sometimes i do go and consult the books, but most of them are rather introductory in nature. i do not need to go to sap-wug workflow emailing list or de.alt.comp.sap-r3, but they are a good sources in their own right. so, thank you for consolidating the content for me.

 

* Did the points / the SCN recognition program motivate you to contribute to SCN and the community? What else motivates you? What did you get back beyond points?

 

points are both good and bad, they are some form of feedback, but they should not be overrated like any other metric as some people get fixated on it. they remind me a bit of certification and are a good start. my main motivation is to enhance my own knowledge and network with others. i was seriously thinking about podcasts and i think this area remains untapped, but i didn't like my recordings, so whoever has a nice voice and dedicates some time has a bright future ahead of him or her.

 

* What are your projects in 2010? What would be the right peer / consultant from the community to help you with this? Is your next project going to require different capabilities?

 

the biggest will be the upgrade to ecc 6.0 and i'm fine with the current level of support. longer term, i'm seeking help with consolidations, whether on original sem platform or on the new business objects one. the latter is quite active.

 

* Be candid. Ranting is ok. We can only close the gap(s), if you name it (them).

 

i agree ranting is fine, but certain civility is even better. we all get frustrated if our immediate concern is not addressed. i'm trying to 'criticize' indirectly and turn it into a joke rather than incite anger. sometimes, when i see content, i almost want to post a link to some of the sketches by George Carlin (RIP), but i think they may offend someone or be misunderstood or cause copyright issues.

 

* Please talk about content, experience and peers that you enjoyed or are missing. Do not address tools or nice software that we should use instead of our current implementation; that is an entirely different project.

 

i like nice tools, but i understand how much effort goes into making them "nice". in the beginning they are just plain ugly. i'm mostly missing those who are real experts but are too busy to post here.