How do you keep informed? 3

[kbits]

Engineers are busy people. Some of us are challenged to find time even to skim a newspaper, whether or not we are trying to catch up on local engineering issues. But I know, newspapers are not the only source of "news".

I pick up some news of issues while working, nothing comprehensive. The kind of news I learn at the office is shallow or specific to the company or one of its projects. Then again, sometimes we simply are the news, as dense as ever.

Gatherings and meetings of professional associations organizations are usually good places to go to find a tip or two, whether in talking with another engineer or in listening to a presentation. With a family at home, I will not attend as many of those as I would like.

I am just to know where you typically find the best insights into either the local engineering issues or the national ones that have a direct impact on the local economy. Radio? TV? The local pub?

 

[Theophilus]

I gave my TV away last month--what an abject waste of my time.

Over the years I've found that control over content is my best way to stay up on info. How do I do that? I select trade magazines that specifically target my industry in areas I'd like to know more about (current stuff). So that's computer hardware, software, plastics, processes, and other design-related stuff. I take a magazine or two with me whenever I need to grab lunch or run errands--no time wasted while in line or otherwise waiting. I throw them away if I don't get to them within a month or so.

Otherwise, I look to the Internet to find what I want to find (something not possible with a time-dependent medium, such as TV). So I waste no time absorbing information I've no interest in. I often take lunch at my desk and catch up on news or articles while eating. I do the same when starting my day (but I'm self-employed, so that works out well for me).

I think the big TV networks and newspapers are in some serious trouble. Their content is simply irrelevant to me and a growing segment of the population--I can't see interest ever gaining except among those who use such media as an opportunity to tune out of their surrounding world.



Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

Reason trumps all. And awe transcends reason.

 

[geekEE]

I find that I do a lot of reading (ok, skimming) of trade publications to keep up with engineering news. I don't know how it is in your specific field, but I find that I get offers of free subscriptions to trade publications weekly and need to turn a lot of them down or be buried in paper or email.

 

[ctopher]

I read magazines, some of the newpaper, some internet & TV.
On TV, I only watch info channels ... ie Discovery, National Geo, TLC, NOVA, etc.

Chris
SolidWorks 07 2.2/PDMWorks 07
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 02-10-07)

 

[tripleZ]

I'm a Wall St. Journal addict. After that, I only have time to read textbooks for grad school. TV is only for running at the gym.

 

[kbits]

Do you find trade publications to be the most current source of news for your area? I scan ENR for material and labor prices and for word of an emerging trend, but it seems to me that anything I find in the publication is second-hand or old news. On the WSJ, although it is a great source of financial information, some of the other features I see in that paper are years old.

The news that interests me most is being passed around like a hot potato. Discerning fact from rumor requires some wisdom, but one-to-one communication is another way I am keep myself informed, whether in person or over the phone. I used to meet with engineers at a local pub to chew the fat. We would trade tips over a pint. But as for any newspaper, some tips were hotter than others, and others still were as stale as the pretzels on the bar.

 

[corus]

I get a free copy of The Engineer. I think it's a UK magazine though but it has interesting articles in it. For more specific stuff I'm able to browse recent publications taken from journals through the work's library. I'm not sure if public libraries offer the same service.

corus

 

[SomptingGuy]

The professionalrags are pretty good. Here in the UK we can get PE and AE monthly. Plus the rag(s) from America's SAE are often interesting.

 

[EngJW]

In your field (civil) there are loads of books in any good library, since it is such a broad field. Unlike other engineering fields, I think there are more books that deal with the history of the subject. It might interest you to learn how things like bridge and tunnel building developed. Knowing how we got here could be just as important as wondering where we are going.

Theophilus- man, I can't stand tv. Even for documentaries. I'm fed up with their talking heads format.

 

[KENAT]

In the UK I used to read "the engineer" and the RAeS magazine.

Both were interesting though gave limited detail.

In the US I've now subscribed to popular science and popular mechanics.

If I see something real interesting I can usually find something on the web to satisfy my curiosity.

 

[GregLocock]

New Scientist (online)
stuffy daily paper (mainly for business news)
Yahoo news for automotive financials
Professional Engineering (IMechE) for whatever the anoraks are writing about this month to justify the hike in subs
Several different trade mags
Books
Websites
SAE papers



Cheers

Greg Locock

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

 

[atlas06]

NTV (No Television) for me too,
Typically I have various projects such as industrial, foreign, etc..each time, I learn something new, and I keep up with Eng-tips.

But, instead, I try to read something other than engineering (i.e in my specialty), I've read too much in my early years in the field I guess.

I make it now a necessity to find a new interesting project for the kids outside of my engineering field from the library, it is amazing how much life gets interesting when you try to get out of your trade. Have you tried to build a puppet show? story, stage and all and play it for the kids lately? try yoga? judo? priceless!!!.

It is much better to keep up with life than with just our own engineering.

All that, after you pay your dues of course.

 

[Theophilus]

atlas06, I totally agree with that practice (star)--open up the head a bit and do something to round off the angular engineering edges once in a while. My pet is philosophy (sort of the other side of the coin of all this empirical stuff).



Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

Reason trumps all. And awe transcends reason.

 

[csd72]

kbits,

Civil is one of the broadest of the engineering professions, what specifically do you do? If we know a bit more about what you do then we might be able to make some specific suggestions.

 

[kbits]

I agree with exploring the world beyond engineering. Throughout college, I worked as a volunteer at a crisis counseling center, offering an attentive ear to disturbed people. This experience is remembered and integrated into my work, as I field phone calls from emotional clients, contractors or customers. Reflective listening doesn't calm everyone, but, you know, sometimes they simply need an ear to vent.

Where I live, there are evening documentaries on the public channels that offer an on-the-ground perspective of our local water infrastructure, something very important to my career. Although I have read books and seen the pictures in the magazines, the public television documentaries offer another valuable perspective on some of these works. It is striking how a public television personality can bring to mind questions about a work that engineers might not consider.

By the way, how about attending trade conferences? I have attended conferences and picked up some useful tips from them. Some of the information there is redundant, yet it helps me to have the same information presented in a variety of ways, so that it is more clearly understood. It seems to me this is a fine place to learn about an emerging industry trend.

 

[DaveVikingPE]

For Engineering News, you can't beat Eng-Tips.

 

[kbits]

Yes, I would also recommend visiting

http://www.eng-tips.com

to keep informed. I have picked up a bunch of insights here.

My question was intended to get an idea of how you keep informed of *local* issues that affect your business. One thing this site does not have, to my understanding, are regional forums--not that I don't enjoy talking to engineers from all over the world.

For your information, I am a water professional, but in order to keep an open mind and get some new ideas, I wanted to open this question up to people of all fields, to try to kindly remove my blinders.

 

[EngJW]

For local issues I doubt if you can beat newspapers. They concentrate on politics, business, corruption, taxes, and education, things that affect everyone and every industry. Also read local alternative newspapers if you have one, as they will present things from a different point of view, usually more liberal than the established paper. TV is the worst- the only news is car crashes and murders.

 

[KENAT]

I would have thought the best way to follow local engineering trends/news was to join the local chapter of some kind of trade association if one exists.

 

[Theophilus]

Popularity-based sorting of articles, etc.--don't get lost here:

http://reddit.com/

Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

Reason trumps all. And awe transcends reason.