I normally wouldn't post on this, but I've become guilty in the past of becoming complacent in my IT work and not looking outside my organization to participate with my peers. I've been active in several IT forums, specifically the VMware Technology Network (VMTN) Forums, soon to become "VMware Communities" and a few others related to HP's hardware/software under their IT Resource Center (ITRC) umbrella of support tools.
Where I've lacked participation is with IT user groups. We have a few in my area that focus on subjects that are near and dear to my heart: Storage Networking and Virtualization. I'm on the mailing lists and have been invited to a few, but haven't made a real effort to carve the time in my schedule to attend and that's a failure on my part. User groups offer an opportunity for learning, sharing, commiserating and will allow you to establish a network that could become useful during a job search or if you're looking to employ someone.
Since my company's fiscal year ends in October, I'll make my FY 2008 resolution to get involved with the Storage Networking User Group (SNUG) and VMware User Group (VMUG) for Orlando. I'll also see what else is available, because a quick online search revealed a Greater Orlando Linux User Group (GOLUG) that could be interesting.
If you're interested in other subjects; I would recommend searching online, contacting a trusted hardware/software vendor to see if they know of any user groups or looking at any e-mail, newsletters or magazines you already receive to see any are mentioned. If you're a member of a professional organization, that may also be a good place to start.
If there isn't a user group in your region, contact one nearby, inquire about starting a chapter in your area and get involved.
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