2013 Microsoft MVP Award
Today Microsoft presented me the 2013 Microsoft MVP Award. This is my 10th MVP award and I want to thank Microsoft for this award. There are lots of great things about the MVP award program. Whoever came up with this idea of MVP award is a genius. I say that because the way the program benefits both Microsoft and the recipients. For those of us who have been fortunate enough to receive this award, the MVP program opens up so many doors and presents us with opportunities that we didn’t have in the past. I am truly honored to receive this award. The 10th time is just as exciting as the first one.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with this award, it is one of the most prestigious awards in the technology industry. Individuals are presented with the MVP award based on their technical expertise, community leadership, and voluntary community contributions for the previous year. Yes, for the “previous year.” This means that MVPs are free to say whatever they want….good or bad……about Microsoft and they will continue to be MVP for the entire year. This eliminates any possibility for criticizing Microsoft that the award is given so people can say nice things about Microsoft. The award is simply a recognition of past contributions, not anticipation of doing anything in the future. In the past decade as an MVP, Microsoft has never told me what to say, or what not to say about Microsoft. MVPs are not Microsoft employees or partners. IN fact, you can’t be an MVP if you work for Microsoft. As MVPs we are independent professionals and Microsoft places no direct expectation on us. They only ask us to act professionally by complying with the MVP Award Program’s Code of Conduct and the Microsoft Communities Rules of Conduct. That’s it.
Here’s a snippet from today’s announcement from Microsoft.
“Today, 977 exemplary community leaders around the world were notified that they have received the MVP Award! These individuals were chosen because they have demonstrated their deep commitment to helping others make the most of their technology, voluntarily sharing their passion and real-world knowledge of Microsoft products with the community.
While there are more than 100 million social and technical community members, only a small portion are selected to be recognized as MVPs. Each year, around 4,000 MVPs are honored. They are nominated by Microsoft, other community individuals, or in some cases themselves. Candidates are rigorously evaluated for their technical expertise, community leadership, and voluntary community contributions for the previous year. They come from more than 90 countries, speak over 40 different languages, and are awarded in more than 90 Microsoft technologies. Together, they answer more than 10 million questions a year!”
For more information on this program and to find an MVP, check out these links.
Find an MVP by area of expertise
