This blog is in response to Jim Spath's similar blog on Crumbs from a Spork
http://jspath55.blogspot.com/2010/01/what-net-communities-do-i-live-in.html
Like Jim, I was also an ASUG member and ASUG Volunteer before SDN existed. For the past 8 years, I have spent a lot of my time working/volunteering for this organization as I believe it has a lot to offer. I also believe the SAP Community has a lot to offer and have spent the past 5 years as a SAP Net Promoter then SAP Mentor. I think both Communities together compliment each other very well.
This is how I view the 2 Communities; I look to SCN for information on the whole SAP ecosystem (which is quite extensive by the way) as well as the future direction of where SAP is heading. I go to the ASUG Community to find out how SAP Customers are using the SAP Solutions today and for the Influence Avenue they provide via the ASUG Influence Councils. It has been my experience that SAP customers find ways to use the SAP Solutions in ways that SAP did not necessarily intend :-). But, I think that is a good thing. I have also had very interesting experiences in ASUG Influence Councils. I participated in the ASUG Archiving and Information Lifecycle Influence Council where we helped document some of the business requirements for their new SAP NetWeaver ILM Solution. I am currently involved in the ASUG SAP NetWeaver User Interface Influence Council where we are providing SAP requirements for some of the UI toolsets.
For more information on why I am part of both communities, here is a link to a blog of mine from 2007:
http://weblogs.sdn.sap.com/pub/wlg/6749
I feel very privileged to be both a SAP Mentor and an ASUG Volunteer and will continue to be a part of both communities as I believe they work well together – they do for me that’s for sure!
Karin Tillotson
