Recently in the great twittersphere there has been a lot of chatter on the value of a Web Analytics Association (WAA) membership. After thinking on it for a few days, I wanted to offer my my 2/5’s of nickel on why I joined the WAA and what value I have received as a result of joining.
Let me start with saying that I think true value of a membership in the WAA, or any user group like this, is dependent on what you are willing to put into it. Membership is not a passive experience. My personal goals in joining the WAA were:
- Education
- Networking
- Collaboration
Education:
As I become more and more immersed in the world of analytics, I am constantly looking for way to expand my knowledge. As part of this process I wanted to be able to participate in the WAA committees, forums, peer reviews, webcasts, etc.. Being able to join the committees and not only participate in the discussions, but to learn from the experiences of the other members of great value to me.
Networking:
I love being able to interact with others that are passionate about web analytics. To share experiences, challenges, failures, and successes and to build relationships with others in the industry is great. It is true that this can be done without the WAA, but for me, it has opened up another set of people to interact with that I had not yet, or might not have the had the opportunities to.
Collaboration:
The developer in me loves standards. Love, love, love, love… Standards. So the opportunity to be part of a group/committee that discusses and helps shape those standards is a very exciting offer. I am still getting my feet wet in this area, but I look forward to becoming more active in this area.
Based on these goals alone, I do feel that I get a great value for my membership in the WAA!
There are other great groups and projects out there, like the Analyis Exchange where you could accomplish these goals, but I do not feel that participation in one group should preclude you from participating in the other. I love talking about analytics with whomever will listen and through these conversations, this engagement, and healthy debate on ideas true innovation happens. There is something great about taking an idea and throwing it out for the world to see, comment on, and mold into something new.
12 thoughts on “Why I joined the Web Analytics Association”
Hi Rudi,
This is fantastic! All too often people criticize the value of WAA membership, so it’s great to hear from someone that appreciates what they receive. I too find great value in the organization and applaud your ability to recognize it and your enthusiasm for helping others to recognize the benefits as well.
Thanks for sharing,
John Lovett
Rudi,
Thanks for the shouting out here. I can tell you that member value is always being the number one priority for the board of directors and the newly recuited Executive Director, Mike Levin. But as Jim Sterne and many others repeatly said before, WAA is a non-profit and volunteer driven organization and the greater member value can only be achieved by selfish and generous contribution made by our members like you.
cheers,
Ed
@ John & @Ed,
Thanks for the comments. I appreciate the feedback.
-Rudi
I agree completely – I find being a member of the WAA brings a lot of value. Being a relatively new independent consultant, I find it a great way to meet potential clients in the career section. And I also *love* standards! Once upon a time I was the process standards queen at a former employer. I developed and documented all our team processes to help streamline everything we did (much to the chagrin of some of my co-workers). Why aren’t standards more appreciated?
Gabi,
Thanks for the comments. I think the main reason people do not like standards is that once they are in place they are supposed to follow them!
-Rudi
Hi Rudy,
in the name of the WAA I would like to thank you for your good words. We are working hard to provide value to our members and are very excited to see such a post. Please keep the feedback coming…
Thank you
Daniel Waisberg
Co-Chair of Marketing
Hi Rudy,
You are right. The more you get involved in the activities of the WAA, the more you have opportunities to learn. I learned a lot through the Committee activities. Another good thing about the WAA is you have a chance to communicate with members from different countries.
All the best,
Susumu Teshima
Thanks so much for putting this in writing, Rudi! Here’s my favorite part:
“I do not feel that participation in one group should preclude you from participating in the other.”
So true. There are many ways we can get involved in the web analytics community: WAW events, LinkedIn groups, mailing lists, etc. As glad as I am to see all of these “organic” opportunities I’m still a firm believer in the value of formal WAA membership. Your post sums it up nicely. Thanks for being such an active member of our community.
@Daniel, @Susumu, & @June,
Thank you for the comments. I look forward to working with all of you at the WAA.
-Rudi