One of the things about working in technology is how much people tend to share. For as long as there have been forums, chats and channels, there has been some form of community. Growing up, it was neat to build a computer and when I had an issue, I knew that someone somewhere had the same exact issue, using the same exact hardware. That person would likely have asked somewhere and I’d look for that thread.
Moving forward, as I was taking programming classes and working on java, C and later objective-c, I started going to the Orlando iOS Developers Meetup. I thought it was amazing to see a group of people getting together to talk about the tech. So as I progressed and I started working on virtualization, there was this mountain of information available.
Not all areas within technology are the same, some hold information close to their chest, so when I needed information on VMware, it was shocking how much was available. But its not just bloggers, the sheer volume of tweets dedicated to this is outrageous. Then, there is VMUG. I’ve been through and seen a couple communities, but the support and help surrounding virtualization (not just VMware) is incredible. The VMware User Groups are local groups, lead by volunteers who are also customers. Specifically, a leader CANNOT work for VMware.
So, if you’ve been a part of this community for awhile, thank you! If you are just joining, strap in, there is a LOT of content and the list grows hourly. I’m looking forward to 2016, to see what this community will do, and to see more users join in and sharing their knowledge.