Building an online resource one click-through at a time

A recent poll of PLANT ENGINEERING readers found 73% use the Internet daily – and every reader uses it at least once a week. Web access is everywhere, and with the launch of new Web productivity tools, the Internet is a click away for most managers. But the Internet is also a large place, and making sense of it all, and customizing that vast content for each Web user can be a daunting task.

By Staff November 1, 2006

A recent poll of PLANT ENGINEERING readers found 73% use the Internet daily — and every reader uses it at least once a week. Web access is everywhere, and with the launch of new Web productivity tools, the Internet is a click away for most managers.

But the Internet is also a large place, and making sense of it all, and customizing that vast content for each Web user can be a daunting task. That’s where PLANT ENGINEERING will help, with a series of new tools designed to connect readers with information, with editors and with each other.

Every PLANT ENGINEERING story will include a feature called Talkback, which allows readers to comment on the story and provide feedback for editors and for other readers. It’s a place to exchange tips, discuss the information in the story and create a way for readers to see what other readers are talking about.

PLANT ENGINEERING has also launched a daily news site that brings together the information about new products and trends that will affect the plant floor. It will also offer some daily information you haven’t seen before, generated by PLANT ENGINEERING ‘s experienced staff of editors and industry experts. You’ll even see something to brighten your day. News will be updated by 1 p.m. EST each day, giving you the freshest views of what’s going on in manufacturing.

Blogs are another great way to help raise discussion points, and PLANT ENGINEERING has pulled together some of the best blogs in manufacturing — including the debut of our own blog from editor Bob Vavra. This will give readers a number of perspectives on the changing world of manufacturing and how it affects plant engineers and plant managers on the ground each day.

“What we’ve created each day is a look at the relevant information we’ve got on hand — analyzed, compacted and delivered to our readers’ desktops at www.plantengineering.com ,” said Vavra. “While plantengineering.com is a valuable source for archived information from the magazine, we realize our readers need more. That’s why we’ve increased our delivery of cutting-edge knowledge and relevant news for the manufacturing and plant floor leaders.

Our information will provide quick links and to-the-point knowledge for our Web users — and for anyone else looking to find our more about what’s going on in manufacturing today.