In July, I provided an update on Control Engineering's ventures into social media across Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. But one important data point was missing—basic demographic information on the members. The inability to download this data for analysis made it difficult to develop a precise picture of just who was participating in our groups.
        To help address this situation, while conducting a surv

ey on Internet use linked to job-oriented tasks控制工程网版权所有, we opened the survey up to our social media group members first. We then analyzed their response data separately before compiling all responses for the larger purposes of the survey (which is to ensure we are delivering information to you online in the way you most want to receive it).
        What we found proved to be quite contrarian to the oft-touted description of social media users, which suggests engineers and/or decision makers do not use social media.
        Here's what we found: Of the social media group member responses to the survey, 63% have more than 10 years of industry experience (at companies like Abbott, BP, Del Montewww.cechina.cn, Navistar控制工程网版权所有, and Weyerhaeuser). Equally interesting is that 62% have been in their current position for less than five years. While this is surely evidence of the manufacturing and economic upheavals we've seen over the past several years, it potentially points to why engineers are increasingly turning to social media. And that reason is likely to be: While many practicing engineers may have several years of experienceCONTROL ENGINEERING China版权所有, current conditions have carried them into positions they may not be well-trained for or have the resources necessary to support them adequately. As a resultCONTROL ENGINEERING China版权所有, they are increasingly leveraging the Internet to tap the greater knowledge source available to them outside the four walls of their facility.
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