Meet Redouane Meddane, our new Cisco Designated VIP 2023.
Redouane Meddane is a Senior Engineer and author of several publications related to Cisco technologies. He claims, “Cisco Community is the first resource people use to find an explanation (...) or solution to a specific problem”. Being recognized as a Designated VIP encourages him to pursue sharing his knowledge with the same passion.
This vision increases the value of all his contributions, given the responsibility of explaining and helping in a simple way. His interest in making the knowledge of 15 years of experience available to everyone, is undoubtedly a wonderful legacy for the entire IT-world.
1. What do you think of having been designated as a VIP member? Did you expect it?
It is a great distinction and I am honored. Being recognized by the Cisco Community for the quality of my contributions encourages me to continue with the same passion of sharing. I did not expect this election, I thought I was far from being part of this club of experts.
2. How has this new experience been for you? Did it require a lot of effort to achieve VIP status?
Of course, nothing can be achieved without considerable effort. When you prepare for an exam, you have to make the effort to read, practice, search, ask, etc. In this community the effort is particularly more difficult. Why, because you have the responsibility to explain and to help with a simple method, and Cisco Community is the first resource people use to look for an explanation of a protocol, concept, or solution for a specific problem.
I often say that understanding a concept or a technology requires effort, but making it easy for people to understand requires a lot of effort. You can be an expert and when you are asked to explain what you have understood, you will find that it is extremely difficult. So, contributions to Cisco Community require us to spend more time and hard effort to find atypical scenarios and write a concise explanation.
3. What does an engineer like you do? What is your day-to-day life like with so many responsibilities?
I always look for a balance between work and life. A good work-life balance means you can be happy and productive at work and also have time for yourself and your family.
4. We have already spoken in other interviews about your career, but we would like to know… How did you land in the Cisco Community? Was it doing some search, by recommendation, another example?
When we start our Cisco career, accessing Cisco Community is inevitable. When you type any keyword in search engines about Cisco technology, you are redirected to this great blog. So, I discovered this community alone and accidently.
5. What do you like most about the community?
What I like in the community is the rich contributions and the solutions given for many issues met by customers.
6. How do you organize your time to handle so many things simultaneously? Share some tips with us!
The secret is simple, organization and planning. Also I read a lot and I love to take notes with my own explanation, trying to provide the best explanation ever, with atypical schema and appropriate words. This is my passion.
7. If you had a magic wand, what new thing would you like to see in the community?
Maybe more content about Webex Solutions, especially Webex Calling because this is the new trend of Cisco Collaboration Solutions.
8. Among all your projects, how are the publications of your books going? When will we see new editions?
Recently I made a big release for two books, Dial Plan and Call Routing Demystified On Cisco Collaboration Technologies and Deploying Certificates Cisco Meeting Server, where I added some atypical scenarios focusing on designing the dial plan. They are going to be released in the future, especially Dial Plan and Call Routing Demystified on Cisco Collaboration Technologies.
9. What advice would you give someone who wanted a push to start contributing or know where to start?
You should have the habit to write notes for each technology you read or you work on. When taking notes, try to imagine that you are writing them for others, therefore you are challenged to provide rich content. With this approach, you will not only understand, but you will have the feeling that you are explaining in an effective way. Then you can say that you will go there and contribute with your personal fingerprint in Cisco Community.
Note: Redouane MEDDANE is Cisco Collaboration and Cisco Security Consultant, 3xCCNP Collaboration, Security, and Enterprise certified and F5 BIG-IP Administrator. He is a published author of some of the most important OSPF Protocol, Security and Collaboration books.
Want to join Redouane? Learn more about becoming a Cisco Designated VIP today or contact us at community.vip@cisco.com for any questions.
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