When Arun Vishwanath, founder and moderator of Trainers Forum Yahoo! Group, started the group little did he know what the future held for him and the group. “Trainers Forum is a platform for all trainers & HR professionals from various industries to share best practices and discuss issues related to training. We have been successful so far and we continue to build on this goodwill,” he says as the group continues to grow at a fast pace.

Arun started the forum as an offline Hospitality Trainers Group. In the very first meeting of the group in 2002, several experienced professionals came charged up to share their knowledge and start training activities. At that point, the members decided to give virtual presence to their group and created Trainers Forum Yahoo! Group. Later they decided to rope in trainers from other industries as well, and it wasn’t long before the online group went from 12 to 5,200 members. “We have made it mandatory for agencies to offer our members 20% discount on public seminars and workshops if they want their message to be posted on our main group, because it gives a value-add to the members.”

“It is quite a challenge running a large group like this, and more importantly of trainers. The number of messages posted per month exceeds 1,000. However, due to strict moderation we have been able to bring in clarity.” Trainers Forum also supports a group called the “Bombay Toastmasters” – which focuses on public speaking and leadership skills. It comes as no surprise that Arun is flooded with hundreds of thank-you mails everyday. “I made a lot of friends en route!” he smiles.

If you want to share an interesting story of your Yahoo! Group, please mail it to us at groups@yahoo-inc.com. Stay tuned for our next coverage.

Thanks,
Diti
Yahoo! Groups India

C and C++ programming languages are the building blocks for most programs running across the globe. Nanda Kishor, owner and moderator of C4Swimmers Yahoo! Group, believes that learning these programming languages is like diving into an ocean. In fact the logo of his group symbolizes a big fish (experts in C) and a small fish (fresher in C) diving into an ocean to discover the pearls – the deep understanding of C and C++.

The group started as a combined study platform and today it has become a major source of learning for many C aspirants. A few years ago, Nanda used to prepare for job interviews with his friends and they used to collect a variety of questions and their answers over e-mails. Soon, he started receiving queries from a lot of friends and acquaintance. So Nanda started a group to create a database of such questions for quick references.

This group activity motivated him to create a website, a single stop resource for everything on C and C++. In the near future, the group aims to provide on-the-job project help for its members. Today, c4Swimmers is 3,400 members strong, comprising of students from MIT, IITs, IISC and employees from almost all the top IT companies.

Want to know about C and C++? Join the C4Swimmers Yahoo! Group today. If you want to share an interesting story of your Yahoo! Group, please mail it to us at groups@yahoo-inc.com. Stay tuned for our next coverage.

Thanks!
Shefali
Yahoo! Groups India Community Manager

“They (other HR professionals) told me not to do it! I went ahead and took up the challenge,” says Raghav and adds with a smile, “I formed my Yahoo! Group – HR in India.” The group achieved success within 5 years of its launch by becoming India’s biggest HR Network. With two decades of HR experience in the manufacturing and IT sectors Raghav is a humble, unassuming HR consultant. Formed in September 2001 the group is 12,484 members strong today.

“My members made the group possible, they selflessly provide content without expecting anything in return,” he adds. In fact the group’s uniqueness is its spam-free content, resulting from a rigid screening process that Raghav has put in place. New members answer a questionnaire that ensures their interest is in HR and not in spamming. The group has become a platform to raise industry-related concerns and discuss HR guidelines.

“I can share knowledge, which multiplies,” says Raghav philosophically. The group has plans to approach management colleges in order to get the student community to embrace the HR function. They intend to achieve this by mentoring those who are interested. The group discusses work pressures, decision making, communication skills, etc. The group has met twice, in 2006 and 2007, to discuss HR policies and practices at an annual IT festival in Bangalore. They are currently in the process of studying the HR policies of a software firm, exploring the concept of Return on People (ROP) as opposed to Return on Investment (ROI).

Having put speculations and the nay sayers to rest, HR in India is a strong group, and growing in numbers. And Raghav, the respectful moderator, sees the group expanding by leaps and bounds in the years to come. We wish them the very best.

To know more about the HR community, join the Yahoo! Group HR in India. If you want to share an interesting story of your Yahoo! Group, please send it to us at groups@yahoo-inc.com Stay tuned for our next coverage.

Thanks!
Ganesh
Yahoo! Groups India