What is your motivation?

[Jrobker]

Molivia, matt. etc. you know who you are. What drives you to help others? I need to know, what's in it for you?

[matt__w]

Mwhahahahahaaa!! *rubbing hands together*

It's all part of my master plan to take over the world!!

[matt__w]

I've always sort of been the "go to guy" in the office for any technical advice/issues. The first place I worked (a satellite office for an MOB-focused national architectural firm - Marshall Erdman, now Cogdell Spencer Erdman) I was known as the "CADD Liaison" at the time. I would keep in touch with the CADD department back in Wisconsin and relay any info to the handful of drafters/architects at the office. I would also assist in the installation of software (MS Office/ADT/etc...). I eventually got into customizing (LSP/DCL/VBA) and quickly noticed how much faster and consistently things could be done. That office eventually closed (I moved on just before it did) and I worked as "contract help" for another national firm that, at the time, was focusing on the wireless business in the Northeast.

Fast-forward 11 years...

I now work for a smaller firm focusing on CSMEPT (everything OUTSIDE of the building, INSIDE the walls and ceilings and UNDER the building - the stuff you DON'T see) When I started here we were using LDT (for Civil) and Microstation (for SMEP - the "T" came along later). Just like the other places, I was the customization guy... the guy who could create something out of nothing. And once the word started to spread about what I was doing (I started customizing for LDT since I knew AutoCAD) everything just sort of snowballed from there (in a good way).

I'm now the "CADD Manager" for the company and we've been using Revit S/MEP for about 3-4 years now. And with RMEP came a lot of headaches & questions... Why can't I do this? I can do it in AutoCAD!! Where is this symbol? And as a lot of you already know, RMEP was lacking content when it first came out. A LOT!! So, I had to once again customize and create stuff but this time it was for Revit.

I know I'm sort of rambling, giving you my career history and not really answering the question but... I guess I help others because in the end it really helps me. And it also helps the company make money and stay in business (which, again, helps me - put food on the table). I think a small part of it is the fact that I'm not really happy with just staying where I am. I want to grow as a person and professionally and monetarily too, to be honest and with all that I've been doing to help others it's all falling into place.

Does that make any sense??

(I didn't re-read this so I'm sure I probably don't make sense and/or repeated stuff a few times)

Matt

[matt__w]

Plus, I get my own office!!

[mwiggins]

I help b/c some how word does get around and when I got let go 3-2010 that experience helped me get new work. So I figure it is a win win. And I learn too.

[moliva]

mostly just to pay my dues so to speak. When we started with Revit MEP it was a jump in on a HUGE job and try and figure it out....these forums were extremely valuable and I really would not have made it through that initial job without it. I hope I can help when anyone needs it, just as the others helped me when I needed it, and to continue to add to this "resource".

and, like mwiggins says, I come here to learn too....which is why I'm usually hanging around here. (although I've been absent more lately). No better place to keep current w/ what's going on and new "workarounds".

plus, I like to ***** and moan from time to time about the frustrations.

[moliva]

now to turn the question around, what's in it for you? You're one of the most seasoned users that remains active in the MEP forums....and usually have a great answer to a ton of questions.

[matt__w]

plus, I like to ***** and moan from time to time about the frustrations.

I've gotten past that point. Now I just **** and moan about the users who **** and moan about Revit.

I just keep saying to myself, "Welcome to the club!"

[Jrobker]

The same exact reasons as you all.
If someone has a question that I don't quite know, I'll try and figure it out. Helps us both.
We all started in the same place and I think it's great that we are helping others get over the learning curve.

Adesk is looking more into social media. For us that's not a problem, but how do we get others to be as active? What is the trick...?

[RevitNinja]

The AUGI forums can be a great resource if used properly. One has to know how to post a question intelligently, and if it is responded to, how to harvest the relevant information from subsequent posts. Let's face it - Not everyone on forums asks questions intelligently and not everyone answers them correctly.

I spent five years in the classroom teaching AD$K products and I learned that if I could guide students through the more difficult parts of some of these programs, it typically meant that I had a pretty solid understanding of them myself. There is a compassionate bone in my body and sometimes the assistance I offer on this forum is because I have been in that person's shoes (3 years ago) and I know what it is like to have to work with a piece of software that is so poorly understood even by its own developers. The fact that AD$K put this monster on the market 5 years before they released a textbook is still one of the most infuriating things I've encountered in my whole career.

I owe some of my professional progress to this forum and sometimes it feels good to give something back.

By the way, I do think that AD$K and other companies monitor the posts on this forum and have identified the true pioneers of the various software platforms. Your expertise may get you noticed, but whether or not an opportunity arises because of it is 99% political. I know people who can run circles around any of AD$K's gurus and they are consistently passed over for AU presentations, Revit Gunslinger, etc.