Who is MVP?

[Shakespear]

Greetings--

Well , actually I know what that term stands for , but here in msn news
groups there are a dozen MVPs, answering different messages
with various advices and instructions . Ok, that's a nice job
and I really do respect them for that. But who can really
say that any one that brings MSN [MVP] in his/her response
is a real MVP or ...?

I know a lot of people go through MVP's advices with full respect ,
even without thinking what they are doing..... But if some
instructions corrupt the follower's computer and make
corruptions , what?

Is there a practical way to identify the real MVP? Is it
enough to rely on what that message says because
the replier has typed a "MVP" at the end of his
response plus his name ( which is also available in Microsoft's
web page) .... ?

Any suggestion is much appreciated,
Regards


PS: Please do not bring " Microsoft is not responsible for the content of
messages in its newsgroups and such..." in response , since
Microsoft has full supervision and control over all
messages in its server and can delete
malicious contents on the spot.

 

[Ken Briscoe]

Is there a practical way to identify the real MVP? Is it

enough to rely on what that message says because
the replier has typed a "MVP" at the end of his
response plus his name ( which is also available in Microsoft's
web page) .... ?

I'm sure an MVP will chime in here, but AFAIK, Microsoft finds people in
newsgroups that are extra-helpful, and nominates (declares?) them MVPs. I'm
not sure if there's an "official" list of MVPs, although I imagine there
would be somewhere. A lot of the people who lurk and post here are regulars,
so they know who the MVPs are, and who the MVPs aren't. Without an official
list to refer to, the people new to these newsgroups kind of have to assume
that if someone claims "MVP", then they actually are. Such is the nature of
the internet, I suppose.

KB

 

[Steve Cochran]

See here for a list of MVPs.

http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;mvpaward&style=toc

steve

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

Try here:

http://tinyurl.com/4cie

Will

Greetings--

Well , actually I know what that term stands for , but here in msn news
groups there are a dozen MVPs, answering different messages
with various advices and instructions . Ok, that's a nice job
and I really do respect them for that. But who can really
say that any one that brings MSN [MVP] in his/her response
is a real MVP or ...?

I know a lot of people go through MVP's advices with full respect ,
even without thinking what they are doing..... But if some
instructions corrupt the follower's computer and make
corruptions , what?

Is there a practical way to identify the real MVP? Is it
enough to rely on what that message says because
the replier has typed a "MVP" at the end of his
response plus his name ( which is also available in Microsoft's
web page) .... ?

Any suggestion is much appreciated,
Regards


PS: Please do not bring " Microsoft is not responsible for the content of
messages in its newsgroups and such..." in response , since
Microsoft has full supervision and control over all
messages in its server and can delete
malicious contents on the spot.

 

[Frank Saunders MS-MVP, IE/OE]

See here for a list of MVPs.

http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;mvpaward&style=toc

steve

Note: Most IE/OE MVPs are fond under:
Windows - IE/OE

 

[Cindy Winegarden]

Please surf on over to
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;mvpaward&style=toc
where there is a list of current MVPs.

MVPs are computer users just like you. As with any advice you find in a
newsgroup, you use it at your own risk. Microsoft describes MVPs as
"Credible: Microsoft MVPs have demonstrated practical expertise providing
the highest quality information and content."
() Although MVPs can make mistakes just
like anyone else, the information and advice they have provided in the
previous year is evaluated to determine who should receive an award.

Microsoft public newsgroups aren't moderated. Microsoft doesn't restrict or
censor posts in the newsgroups.

If you have comments about MVPs in general or specific MVPs you can send
email to (e-mail address removed).

 

[Gord McFee]

In

http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;mvpaward&style=toc

Note: Most IE/OE MVPs are fond under:
Windows - IE/OE

"Fond" under? Freudian slip?

I was going to bribe Bill Gates to make me an MVP, and then realized what a
stupid idea that was.

 

[Len Segal]

I fully concur with these comments!

I am also aware that a company known as Brainbench (at one time) designated
the people who passed their exams as "Brainbench MVPs" which (at least at
one time in the past) seemed to "muddy the waters". Since I was personally
involved in reviewing the questions for some of the predecessor company's
questions for the Win9x exams I mentioned above (before they sold out to
Brainbench), I can assure you that nobody needed to be an expert to pass
those exams (they kept the questions "basic" and "simple"). [Disclaimer, I
don't know if Brainbench still calls their customers "MVPs" or if they
changed the designation.]

No matter who provides advice, I strongly advise the recipient to use good
judgment before implementing it. Oftentimes we are only provided with an
"abbreviated description" of what is happening and thus we can easily
provide bad advice due to not knowing all the facts.

 

[Steve Cochran]

In
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;mvpaward&style=toc

"Fond" under? Freudian slip?

I was going to bribe Bill Gates to make me an MVP, and then realized what a
stupid idea that was.

You want to try and bribe one of the richest people in the world, so you can
sit in this NG and answer the same questions every day for years?

Now why would you think that was stupid?

steve

 

[David Candy]

You can enter a competition on Friday nights to nominate the same person as Gus's MVP. Although P stands for player here.

--
David Candy
http://www.mvps.org/serenitymacros/
http://www.simtel.com/pub/pd/18669.html

I fully concur with these comments!

I am also aware that a company known as Brainbench (at one time) designated
the people who passed their exams as "Brainbench MVPs" which (at least at
one time in the past) seemed to "muddy the waters". Since I was personally
involved in reviewing the questions for some of the predecessor company's
questions for the Win9x exams I mentioned above (before they sold out to
Brainbench), I can assure you that nobody needed to be an expert to pass
those exams (they kept the questions "basic" and "simple"). [Disclaimer, I
don't know if Brainbench still calls their customers "MVPs" or if they
changed the designation.]

No matter who provides advice, I strongly advise the recipient to use good
judgment before implementing it. Oftentimes we are only provided with an
"abbreviated description" of what is happening and thus we can easily
provide bad advice due to not knowing all the facts.

--

Regards,
Len Segal, MCP
Microsoft - MVP
--------------
My reply address is intentionally wrong to reduce SPAM Email.
NOTE: We do not respond to unsolicited Email support questions,
please post questions in newsgroup.

Others have already provided an official list, but after you have visited a
particular NG for a while, you will soon begin to recognize who the real
MVPs are - by the accuracy of their posts and by the good help they provide.

Actually though, I have encountered few fake MVPs in the NGs I subscribe to,
and I subscribe to quite a few, so I don't think it's a huge problem. - but
do be cautious.

 

[Alun Jones [MS MVP]]

I know a lot of people go through MVP's advices with full respect ,
even without thinking what they are doing..... But if some
instructions corrupt the follower's computer and make
corruptions , what?

I worry about that each time I post helpful hints. I'm sure Microsoft staff
get the same concerns when they write KB articles. Even the
best-intentioned advice from the best-informed will sometimes be wrong for
your particular situation. Take advice carefully - if it doesn't sound
right for your system, go get a second opinion.

Is there a practical way to identify the real MVP? Is it
enough to rely on what that message says because
the replier has typed a "MVP" at the end of his
response plus his name ( which is also available in Microsoft's
web page) .... ?

One way to do it is to visit http://mvp.support.microsoft.com and check out
the MVP Awards list. Most of us are on there - newly created MVPs might not
be, but you can generally spot the true MVPs by their having been around
(albeit not necessarily as an MVP) offering good advice for a long time.

PS: Please do not bring " Microsoft is not responsible for the content of
messages in its newsgroups and such..." in response , since
Microsoft has full supervision and control over all
messages in its server and can delete
malicious contents on the spot.

You're new to Usenet, right?

Microsoft could be responsible for the content of messages in its
newsgroups, but only if they were created exclusively at Microsoft's
servers, and hosted only there. If you can read the headers on my posting,
you'll see that I'm actually using a Prodigy news server to post this
message. That's where I'm reading it, too. If Microsoft were to delete
messages from their server, they'd only be gone from Microsoft's news
server, and they'd still be propagated around on other Usenet servers.

Alun.
~~~~

[Please don't email posters, if a Usenet response is appropriate.]

 

[Alun Jones [MS MVP]]

I was going to bribe Bill Gates to make me an MVP, and then realized what a
stupid idea that was.

Yeah - didn't you hear? All us MVPs get bribed huge amounts by BillG.

There's an MVP ranch in a corner of Texas, an MVP boat moored up by the MVP
beach house in Malibu, and an MVP apartment block in Seattle for those of us
who feel like we want to manage a Microsoft department for a week or two.
You always wondered where some of Microsoft's wackier decisions came from,
right?

Seriously, though, even when MVPs chat privately, they all acknowledge that
they aren't really doing anything that they wouldn't already be doing even
without the MVP award. It's a recognition of what you do helping others,
not pay for a job. And I have heard so much (mainly from the rabid fringes
of Linux advocacy) about MVPs being paid Microsoft apologists, it might not
be funny for some.

If you go check on Google, you'll see I've been providing much the same sort
of help for the last decade, and only been an MVP in the last few months.
Missed out on a lot of parties ;-)

Alun.
~~~~

[Please don't email posters, if a Usenet response is appropriate.]

 

[Sven Zallmann]

Durn spelling checker. It never seems to know what I meant to type when I
accidentally type the wrong word.

Who needs a spellchecker?

*SCNR*

 

[Larc]

| If you go check on Google, you'll see I've been providing much the same sort
| of help for the last decade, and only been an MVP in the last few months.
| Missed out on a lot of parties ;-)

In that case, Alun, and since I didn't mention it earlier: Congratulations!!!

Now you can go to all those parties. But make sure you find a "designated
driver" before, though. I understand things can get pretty wild.

Larc



§§§ - Please raise temperature of mail to reply by e-mail - §§§

 

[Len Segal]

Larc,

Alun is in for a rude awakening when he attends the next MVP event! The age
of MVPs ranges from ~14 to 80+ (as of 2001 when I last attended a worldwide
MVP event), with a lot more in the gray hair/bald set than "youngsters"! So
the parties aren't anywhere near as wild as people may think! <vbg>

Most of us attend the few (and far between) MVP events to share our "in the
real world" knowledge (what works and what doesn't) with the MS Developers
and to learn about what new technologies they may be planning for the
future. Luckily for the end-user, there has been more emphasis on the former
than the latter lately. As a group, MVPs tend to want to see things "really
work properly" rather than new "bells and whistles"! And if someone was "a
fly on the wall" at these events, they would quickly learn that MVPs in
general are not bashful about complaining to MS about those things that
could be done better and/or more user friendly!

 

[Mike Mulligan]

"Now you can go to all those parties. But make sure you find a "designated
driver" before, though. I understand things can get pretty wild."

I hope the MVPs party as hard as they work, which is to say, very hard.

Mike Mulligan

<snip>

 

[Gordon Smith \(eMVP\)]

Len is correct. Some MVPs go far beyond simply "not bashful". It's a very
ummm.... 'open' exchange of ideas. lol

 

[Frank Saunders MS-MVP, IE/OE]

Larc,

Alun is in for a rude awakening when he attends the next MVP event!
The age of MVPs ranges from ~14 to 80+ (as of 2001 when I last
attended a worldwide MVP event), with a lot more in the gray
hair/bald set than "youngsters"! So the parties aren't anywhere near
as wild as people may think! <vbg>

Most of us attend the few (and far between) MVP events to share our
"in the real world" knowledge (what works and what doesn't) with the
MS Developers and to learn about what new technologies they may be
planning for the future. Luckily for the end-user, there has been
more emphasis on the former than the latter lately. As a group, MVPs
tend to want to see things "really work properly" rather than new
"bells and whistles"! And if someone was "a fly on the wall" at these
events, they would quickly learn that MVPs in general are not bashful
about complaining to MS about those things that could be done better
and/or more user friendly!

OE MVPs especially aren't bashful about complaining. We've got a lot to
complain about.

 

[Alun Jones [MS MVP]]

OE MVPs especially aren't bashful about complaining. We've got a lot to
complain about.

And you've had a long time to practice each complaint.

Alun.
~~~~

[Please don't email posters, if a Usenet response is appropriate.]

 

[Len Segal]

Frank,

Amen! I'll never forget the "shell shocked" look on one MS VP's face when he
entertained questions about IE/OE at the 2001 MVP event! He looked like he
had just walked into the MVP version of a "shock and awe campaign"! <LOL>

I guess someone misled him into thinking that we were going to be a
"friendly bunch" of "yes wo/men"!