What would you change - not technical - about SCN? Not the platform, but...
I'm repeating a reply to a different discussion.
And I'm sure this has been asked many times in many different ways. So here's my try at it.
In the old "SDN" days. When I went live in 1997 (different company), there was two places to get answers here and another site.
- I was on SDN almost daily. But I'm not anymore. Mmmmm... That would be one difference.
- In the old "SDN", we didn't care about the platform at all. Just so long as we could get questions answered.
- The "old SDN" became fun because I got to know some members.
So now to answer the question - I'm starting to think about the new "SDN" - SAP Community.
- I still have gotten to know some members well.
- I see a lot more answers that would make me feel bad if I was the first to ask them.
- Lately I see myself using the site more. Why? Because I have more questions than answers. Of course right now I really don't have the time to post.
- There is a split between the new and old SAP. From R/3 to on-premise. Is there really? That's a blog for me.
So may challenge to anyone who has read this. Take a moment - or a day - to think about this. If you could change one thing - ONE - that is not related to the platform, what would you change? Don't debate this or any of the answers. They are personal opinions. Sometimes It's fun to debate but right now - just brain storming. Again NOTHING technical about the platform. Might want to see this blog too - https://blogs.sap.com/2018/05/22/hello-my-name-is-craig/
For me it would be the answers. I liked it when I was a repeat and someone would take the time to try to understand what I really meant and helped me. Even if it had been posted at other times.
19 Comments
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Sep 06, 2018 at 01:50 PM
Any change require some technical change :)
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Sep 06, 2018 at 01:58 PM
Coming back with the other discussion about what's professional and not, maybe two different areas like "i'm new and i can barely turn on my laptop" and "After a life building superduper complex system i cannot solve this" could improve the situation?
Not sure, probably it would be a mess and quite.. elitist?
But still, a way to address basic questions and brand new SAP users wouldn't that bad.
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Sep 06, 2018 at 02:15 PM
For each tag to create an additional tag_beginner? Not practical to my mind :) Or separate site? Can't imaging how it can be implemented.
It's a standard moderator job to hide "unprofessional" questions and to ask question author to correct it...
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Sep 06, 2018 at 02:32 PM
Similar to what Simone Milesi mentioned I'd like to see SAP Community as "for professionals by professionals". If being a professional makes you an "elitist" then so be it. And to me asking basic questions without any research or treating SCN as a help desk replacement or posting 6-part series blogs about "digital transformation in blockchain DevOps" does not count as professional behavior.
But I'm afraid it's not even an issue specific to SAP Community but rather overall Idiocracy taking over the world. The signs are all over the place.
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Sep 06, 2018 at 02:40 PM
"overall Idiocracy taking over the world" - I see it too and do not understand why it is being promoted everywhere.
One big kindergarden with trophies for all.... sad.-
Sep 06, 2018 at 02:46 PM
Because we grow up with the misconcept that inclusivity means free-for-all, without any reason, effort done or merit.
When i was a kid and did something good, i was praised but the praise always came with the remind i still had a long path to walk in front of me.
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Sep 06, 2018 at 05:15 PM
Sigh - mmmm.... My question may be too general. What is one thing you would change about SAP community? (Not with the platform) Would that one thing be delete all the "non-professional" questions?
I would be happier with The SAP community if _____.
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Sep 06, 2018 at 06:31 PM
So, now you don't like the answers and changing the question? :) How interesting.
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Sep 06, 2018 at 06:36 PM
Same question phrased different. The answers are fine, as promised they are your answers so I just want them. No real yes it's right or no it's wrong. And no debate. I guess I'm just surprised that so many people when asked what they would change:
The questions and the way they are asking them. OR the non-professional questions.
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Sep 07, 2018 at 09:15 PM
Well, I've just written at length about many issues with Q&As, so didn't want to repeat myself. Q&A is a big part of SCN and it's not surprising that many answers would relate to that.
As far as what to do with "non-professional" questions - the moderators can decide whether to keep or delete them. This has been working fine already. Yes, some people didn't like it. But dealing with "unsuccess" is also part of being a professional IMHO.
We keep forgetting that SCN Q&As are also used as a knowledge repository by those who do search. (Especially those who are stuck with ECC like me, all my questions are already answered. :) ) And having tons of repeated or unanswered (not many people are inclined to answer "basic" questions) is not helpful.
To put it as a one-liner as you've requested, "I would be happier with The SAP community if professional behavior was exhibited by all the community members".
We have (or at least had) some wonderful moderators and I don't see why they can't continue to be in charge of the peacekeeping. If anyone (including me) was/is at fault of not behaving professionally then all it takes is a note from a moderator.
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Sep 06, 2018 at 05:21 PM
I like the "for professionals by professionals".
Sometimes I feel like SAP community has become another sales channel to sell anything. It's ok to have new ideas, promote products/solutions, social activity is necesary but the technical part (Q&A, blogs, tech news) is somewhat missing. ie: "Check my new IoT app with SAP Leonardo and HANA in a multi system enviroment with blockchain" when I'm strugling with day to day activities like load exchange rates from an Excel file (yes, i'm still with dinosaurs :-P ). There are diferent scenarios (your country, the company you work for, you coleages) but sometimes i felt like outside is NASA or ESA and i'm trying to lit fire in 2001: A space Odisey.
I agree with Michelle, most of the answers are solved by searching in the community.
I like to read about new solutions, technical stuff (new and old) i can use in a day to day work, other consultants showing their culture, places, achievements and life (no FaceBook please).
Good etiquete in writing and respect for the other (the one who asks, answers and writes) is also very important.
Kind Regards
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Sep 06, 2018 at 06:37 PM
Well put.
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Sep 06, 2018 at 06:40 PM
And this is a different answer. A great way of getting out of the answer/question thing.
After reading this - the one thing you would change is:
- The selling/promotion of SAP products. There is just too much of it.
Correct?
Then there is the two extras:
- More things to read about. New solutions, technical stuff - cultures places, achievements
- Good writing etiquette and respect for the other
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Sep 07, 2018 at 11:17 AM
Yes, there is too much of selling which I'm not interested. Take a look at this blog
https://blogs.sap.com/2018/07/25/sap-business-bydesign-and-sap-financial-consolidation/
They are in partnership with a vendor, publish their pricing, the blog has got all these tags
- SAP Business ByDesign
- FIN (Finance)
- SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation
- byd financials
- byd_consolidation
- byd_financials
- financial consolidation
- one-sided consolidation
- sap financial consolidation
- SatriunGroup
and because I'm in FIN (Finance) - a general tag - I received it on my Activity stream (1 tag out of 10). They even created a tag for the vendor :-P , come on !!!!!!; by the way, the person who wrote the blog is from SAP :-).
Let's not talk about new product features of SAP HANA, SAP Cloud, SAP XXX I received every day with cool links, cool pictures, cool videos, cool PPT, which I overlooked. I read some of them (its important to have market presence and know the product) but I've got the feeling I'm the wrong market audience.
Kind Regards
PS: I like to read the Member of the Month (MoM) and Blog it Forward blogs as social activity.
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Sep 07, 2018 at 03:32 PM
"I like to read the Member of the Month (MoM)"
I salute you for your exceptionally good taste. :)
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Sep 07, 2018 at 09:25 PM
By the way, those lowercase tags are "user tags" and anyone can create them. For example, these are blogs with "faq" tag: https://blogs.sap.com/tag/faq/
Try replacing "faq" in the link with other words and see if you come across something interesting. :) More on this here.
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Sep 07, 2018 at 08:26 PM
The marketing blogs and the fact that there are no longer any guidelines or moderation is what made me stop reading SCN blogs (except for ABAP tag) altogether. Sure, I might miss a gem or two but this means I don't have to dig through a pile of trash daily.
"Wrong audience" as well, Gustavo Vazquez got this right. The other day I stumbled upon a snoozefest of a blog by SAP director of marketing or something. 0 likes or comments. Whom are they even talking to here? Who on SCN cares about all the empty words about "digital transformation"? LOL. Get a reality check.
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Sep 06, 2018 at 02:43 PM
Get rid of 1DX... too technical?
In that case: stop forcing inclusivity. Exclusive used to be a positive word, one which I'd like to see it being reinstated. The moniker "By professionals, for professionals" is a pretty good one to live by as a community.
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Sep 06, 2018 at 06:35 PM
Likes are piling up. :) I'd say stop misinterpreting inclusivity as all-allowedness.
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