The Ying and the Yang of Product Research

We'll be posting the results of this year's Product Research and Buying Habits Study shortly.

Here's a result that maybe captures the essence of the love/hate relationship most of us have when we use the web as a research tool:

88% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, "I've gotten better at search strategies and techniques, and that has helped get better results."

Sounds OK, until the next result:  read more »

Insights From a Tech Educator

In his February editorial in Control magazine, Editor-in-Chief Walt Boyes makes arguments in support of more money for STEM education. But he also lays responsibility back in the laps of industry professionals: "If we want a group of young automation professionals to follow us, who have knowledge, skills, ambition and drive, we're going to have to go find them ourselves and show them where the goal is. Nobody is going to do it for us. So let's get off our collective duffs and go find some kids and get them interested in what we do."

Read "STEM Education - We Get What We Deserve" and let Walt know what you think. That's what one reader did this week, and his observations really helped us understand the difficulties that teachers can face in our current educational system.  read more »

ISA sets up two new classes of membership @ISA #pauto #automation #isa #mfg #automation

After much arguing and many people like me pushing them to do something, anything to make themselves more relevant, ISA has taken the first baby steps in that direction. They still have to figure out what real value added member benefits are, instead of the list they keep blathering on about, but they've at least moved off top dead center.

Congratulations to all the ISA volunteers who participated in rolling this particular rock uphill. It appears it wasn't a Sysyphean task after all.

Here's the text of the announcement:

read more

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