SFWoW

San Francisco Women on the Web: serve, educate, empower

About a year and a half ago, longtime WoWser and online community expert, Susan Tenby, revived the dormant San Francisco Online Community Report MeetUp group. There’s no shortage of technology groups in the bay area, with various focuses from web applications to software development to Web 2.0 technologies. With so many groups, often with a lot of overlap in between, why the revival? Why attend meetings for this specific group?

Online communities have been around since the early days of the Web. They’ve taken different forms from early usenet groups to online forums and email listservs. With the advent of Web 2.0 technologies and an increase in the amount of user-generated content, more and more commercial and non-commercial sites are developing some form of online community, be it on a platform like Facebook or their own site. It wasn’t until I started attending these meetings–and eventually, helping to run them–that I realized just how huge and diverse the world of online community is.

These monthly MeetUps are held the fourth Wednesday of every month at the TechSoup office. While TechSoup is a nonprofit and has a large online community, you don’t have to be a nonprofit or a community manager to attend these meetings. You can be someone with a passion or even just an interest in online communities and their value for collaboration, networking, or even just connecting over a shared interest. We’ve had guests speak from sites like Yelp, Facebook, and eBay. Past attendees have been involved in various facets of the online world from to elearning communities to video-sharing sites to Second Life.

These casual, informal meetings are a great way to learn about the different projects and work your colleagues are involved in. Discussions are tool-based and center around strategies for using tools to engage users. I’ve learned about ways to make the most of Twitter, discover new blogs and find Facebook applications worth installing. I’ve heard about projects and communities I never knew existed, be it a community remembrance site or a real estate agent using Twitter with other realtors. Usually at the end of the meetings, I’m dashing back to my laptop, eager to explore or play around with the latest platform or application I heard about from other attendees.

So if you’re interested in discovering more about online communities and connecting with other interested folks in person, come join us for snacks, drinks, and discussion at this month’s MeetUp. RSVP here. The official announcement follows below. You can also check out discussion highlights from previous MeetUps in the MeetUp group messages archive.

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Happy New Year to all you online community folks out there! We’re back with our regular monthly MeetUps in the new year. To kick off 2008, our discussion will focus on using wikis as community building tools. We’ll be joined by Adam Frey, one of the founders of Wikispaces, and Angelique (Angie) Shelton, the General Manager of Wikia’s Gaming Network. So come join us for our first 2008 MeetUp to talk wikis and other online community tools. Look forward to seeing you all there.

About this month’s guest speakers: Adam Frey is co-founder of Wikispaces, provider of the world’s easiest to use wikis. Previously, Adam founded and managed the SourceForge business at VA Linux Systems. Adam holds a Bachelor of Science from Monash University and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Angelique Shelton is the General Manager of Wikia’s Gaming Network. Prior to joining Wikia, Angelique worked in Xbox division at Microsoft where she focused on International Expansion and Franchise Development. She has a B.A. in Finance from Louisiana State University and a MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Okay, I consider myself a fairly outgoing person. Yet asking for things–especially asking for things that have to do with my career is something that I dread doing. So when I heard about SF WoW’s Salary Negotiation Panel event, I figured this was probably a good thing for me to attend.

I found the panelists to be very approachable and they gave a lot of good suggestions on negotiating on behalf of yourself in any situation, not just in salary negotiation. The presentation was very informal, with a lot of back and forth discussion between the audience and panelists.

The following tips stuck with me the most when I left:

–Above all, believe in yourself (ok, even if you’re not so sure of yourself, act as if you believe in yourself). You made it this far (i.e. the job offer) and you and your skills are worth bargaining for. Repeat this message to self as needed.

–On the hiring side, HR or other person knows it’s a negotiation situation and will bargain accordingly in their favor. Their first offer will be mid-level range, at the highest. Don’t be low-balled.

–Salary, vacation time, benefits, flex-time, etc. are all potential bargaining chips

–Never reveal your bottom line, but know what you bottom line is before going into negotiation discussion. Your “bottom line” should be that ick factor–what is the minimum you are willing to accept and still feel ok about coming to work every day

–Always be prepared. Do your research. Know what’s an appropriate range for the job title, industry (i.e. private/nonprofit/government/education/etc.) and type of job (i.e. contract/full-time/etc.)

–Defer salary discussion to another time–avoid having conversation over the phone when you’ve just gotten job offer (this usually isn’t possible in a contract situtation, but works with a permanent position)

–Be polite, but know how to re-frame questions and re-state your position effectively. Focus on the value you can bring to the job and your passion and enthusiasm for the position. Avoid getting personal or saying what you “need” in the job.

–Practice with a friend, partner, etc. before going into salary negotiation discussion.

Afterwards, I looked into one of the books recommended by the panelists: Sink or Swim. I’m finding it to be a helpful read, with lots of common sense on-the-job tips. Other books panelists recommended included The Power of Intention and Women Don’t Ask: The High Cost of Avoiding Negotiation–and Positive Strategies for Change.