Finding Advanced Training and/or Communities

[forrestc]

I realize there's a bit of irony in the following.

I've always been a fairly active participant in various online communities.   Usenet, Mailing Lists, Forums, etc.    Answer questions you can, ask questions you need to be answered.   It's always been a good give and take (ask a question, answer a few more).

Over the past couple of years, I've started to come to the realization that by the time I get stuck and need help anymore, I've already covered many, if not all, of the common issues.   As a result, often questions I ask anymore get few useful answers.   This isn't a reflection of the community being bad, just more that from a skills perspective I've outgrown the communities I'm part of.

Along those same lines, I'm finding that many of the training resources I used to rely on don't contain much information I don't already know.    In this context I typically am referring to online tutorials, in-person training, many books, and so on.   This is a problem because I love learning, but am having problems finding resources to actually learn.

Over the past year or so, I've been starting to look for additional resources so I can continue to grow and progress in the industry.   So far I haven't had a lot of luck.   I joined IEEE, haven't really found the rich resources I was somewhat expecting there (I'm in a semi-rural area so the physical IEEE presence here is nonexistent).   I've been digging through various publications.   Been looking for training opportunities.  And so on.

I find that most of the content I'm finding falls into "stuff I pretty much already know" or "high-end research papers that are way beyond my grasp and anything I'm likely to encounter, at least for the next 10 years". 

I'm just not really sure where else to look.   Any ideas?

[RJSV]

   I've branched out, when possible, from Electrical Engineering subjects, to embrace some (study) in the bio-sciences, including buying a simple microscope !
Ok, ok, a MICROSCOPE is mainly  symbolic. But in this world there is so much innovation, around illness and aging issues.

[Ground_Loop]

Something like this maybe:

https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/aeronautics-and-astronautics/16-512-rocket-propulsion-fall-2005/index.htm?utm_source=OCWHomePage&utm_medium=CarouselSm&utm_campaign=FeaturedCourse

This is just a sample of what's available through many technical universities.

[Bud]

"high-end research papers that are way beyond my grasp and anything I'm likely to encounter, at least for the next 10 years". 

This was my experience with IEEE, too. But i found that 10-40 years old publications is what i "can" understand and contain good information. Still, IEEE stuff is mostly academic.

[jpanhalt]

@forrestc

I think your observation is realistic.  One reason I became more active here was a similar observation at some EEVBlog competitors. In  fact, I tested my hypothesis with 6 questions (similar, but different) at both sites.

So, for general and complex, non-product related information, I think EEVBlog is about as good as there is.  For various levels of product-specific information, you have, for example, Arduino sites, Microchip sites, and so forth.  In brief, if I wanted quick information about a TI or Microchip chip, I would probably come here first, but move to the manufacturer site if that did not give results.  (I do not appreciate it when a poster goes to multiple sites simultaneously.  There is a lot of overlap among the "helpers," and it can waste everyone's time.  Go to one site.  If no response in, say, 2 to 3 days, then try elsewhere.)

If it's about an instrument or tool, say a T962 reflow oven, I suspect here is the largest site, and the one most likely to provide a substantive response.

[RoGeorge]

...
outgrown
...
I'm just not really sure where else to look.   Any ideas?

Yes, at some point one outgrows a community, or a teacher, or a famous idol one have as a model in the given field.  Usually the realization you outgrow something or somebody happens suddenly.  That moment is a strange mix of feelings, you are glad and proud of yourself, you are also not sure if it's for real or maybe you are just deluding yourself, etc.  Then the realization that from now on the burden of excellence is on your shoulders to carry it further, and so on.

Suddenly there are not many places or persons that can answer your questions, or even showing interest for the kind of questions you have.  The "wow" moments of finding about something new and extremely interesting from a book, or from a specialist, or from any other place are long gone, or very rare. 

It's like some sort of loneliness.  You are not a wagon any more, you are now a locomotive.  From now on you have to be the inspirational character for others.  From now on you have to generate your own "wow, interesting!" material. 

In EE this is not easy.  I'll say it's almost impossible nowadays to discover something new in EE.  And certainly not possible to do it alone, maybe in a team research, but still very unlikely.  EE is a mature field, all the low hanging fruits are long gone.



What you can do:

- Apply what you've learned.  Design and build something that is at the edge of your skills/knowledge, but still achievable.  A simulation does not count as a proof of concept, only a prototype counts.  The build part is very important.  Chances are you'll discover something new to you during the process.

- Research yourself to find the answers to your own questions.  Make hypothesis, experiment, test if the answers you found are correct and reproducible.

- Change the field and start a new journey.  Preferably a field close to EE, so you can benefit from the knowledge you already have.  Cross-pollinating two fields is very rewarding in learning hype and in new discoveries.

- Be playful with ideas, and with the knowledge you have.  Add some noise.  Stretch and bend concepts and ideas 'till they no longer hold.  Abuse them.  Investigate where from the limitations arise.  Chances are you'll get a deeper understanding.  Or, you might find out something entirely new.