Calling on Your Online Community

As this and other certification-oriented books readily attest, the online world is a treasure trove of information (believe us, you don't even want to count all the URLs and other online pointers in this book, unless you plan to visit them all). The online world is ready to give you some real pearls of wisdom and experience—in most cases, all you have to do is ask for them! Of course, knowing who (and where) to ask for help can be tricky at times, but if you ask those “virtual neighbors” who have the right knowledge base for help or support, it will usually be forthcoming.

For any given area of certification, there are four kinds of online resources that are worth investigating for access to an active community of involved users and, thus, for access to the information, advice, opinions, and experience they can bring to bear on your problems or questions: