Knowing Where To Look
By Bob Fittro, editorial/content director
Do they still make encyclopedias? Do people still buy Almanacs? I’m relatively certain they do, but if I wanted to know for sure, I’d simply look it up on the Internet.
The best thing about the Internet is that it provides instant access to a seemingly unlimited amount of information. If I want to see who won the 1962 Rose Bowl, I type in my question or keywords, hit the button and within a couple of seconds I have my answer. But what if I’m looking for something a little less precise? That’s where the Internet gets tricky.
An Internet search about metal roofing, for example, will return almost a million results. No one in their right mind would consider checking them all but what constitutes a diligent search for information? Do you check the first 10 sites, figuring they must be the best..or 20…or 50? Do you give up after 100 because you’re tired of looking and the information you want just doesn’t seem to exist? Can you be certain that site 999,999 doesn’t have exactly what you’re looking for? The answer is no…unless you’re willing to invest the hours it will take to click through page after page of search results just to get to it.
I will admit that I don’t know the relevancy of the last-of-the-search-list metal roofing websites. What I do know is that there’s a much quicker way to find accurate, vetted information about metal construction products, whether it be metal roofing, metal wall panels, light-gauge steel framing or any of a number of other related products. It’s by beginning your search at DesignandBuildwithMetal.com.
At DesignandBuildwithMetal.com, we’ve spent countless hours identifying articles, documents and information about metal construction products and classified them according to subject matter and tone. Articles and items that talk in general terms about these types of products—and primarily about their benefits—are listed in our Advantages of Metal section. If the information and items cite research or contain test data or something of a similar fashion, they’re catalogued instead in our Technical Articles section.
One of the neat things about the wide array of information you’ll find on our site is that there’s something for everyone. Some of the articles, particularly in the Advantages of Metal section, are consumer oriented, written with homeowners and building owners in mind. They don’t have a lot of technical meat, but they provide the type of overview information that would help sell a customer or client who’s on the fence as far as their approval of metal construction products is concerned. We call these articles “ammunition for the industry”. Conversely, the information in the Technical Articles section is more likely to be of interest to design professionals and contractors. Among the more than 100 items are performance studies, comparative analyses and best practices articles; the types of things that can help professionals gain a better understanding of metal, and thereby make more informed product choices.
The vast majority of the articles in the above-mentioned sections were developed by various trade associations either directly or indirectly involved with the metal construction industry. That is not to say, however, that individual companies are not welcome to submit articles for inclusion as well. If the article is pro-metal and written for the benefit of the metal construction industry as a whole, we’re interested in taking a look at it. For more information, drop us an e-mail or stop by booth 1502 at the upcoming METALCON show in Las Vegas. And while you’re there, take a moment to register for our free laptop computer and flat screen computer monitor giveaways. Or perhaps you would rather have a set of encyclopedias.
Bob Fittro is editorial/content director for DesignandBuildwithMetal.com. He has been covering the metal construction industry, with a focus on the architectural/design community, since 1985. To contact Bob, call (567) 207-2255 or email bobf@designandbuildwithmetal.com.