What's better than being an MVP?..Part II!

So the response over my post about my views on the MVP programme have raised some great debate, which I think, has been long overdue. But rather than just leave it “unresolved”, I felt I needed to follow up on my original post.

My feeling for some time is that there are two major considerations to the MVP programme that need attention:

1) The breadth of community work currently underway is not well represented by the single MVP programme

2) The nomination process needs help from the “others”

To quickly discuss point 1; currently the community effort as it relates to Microsoft Technical Communities spans a vast section of work, from community user groups, on-line discussion/mailing lists, forum moderation and contribution, Microsoft event support from speakers and hosts, University and High-school guest lectures, and the list goes on. And the roles people play in these activities is just as broad, from organising, scheduling, logistics, payment, presenting, listening, etc. So having one programme that targets only a slight section of the people involved in all this effort is not cutting the mustard in my books.

Point Numero B, the nomination process needs some tweaking. I mean, MVP’s are nominated by Microsoft staff. For an award that is largely focused on community contribution and value, shouldn’t the community be voting on their Most Valuable Professionals? I mean, it’s like awarding a song artist the peoples choice award based on what their record company thinks…um, actually, lets go for another analogy, it’s like being voted class president by your teachers, and not the student body (imagine what would have happened in Napoleon Dynamite!!? Pedro’s speech and Napoleon’s moves would have been in vain!…Gosh!).

So I reckon there should be an on-line voting system where the community can nominate and vote for their own Most Valuable x; where x is a category of Professional, Contributor, Organiser, Supporter, you get the gist! Off course Microsoft staff would still be involved in the whole process, ‘cos I still think we add some value (yeah, I still like my job!).

So let me here you…!

What do we want!?

A more diverse Microsoft recognition programme driven by the community and supported by Microsoft with less em-fa-sis on the ivory tower and more on getting amongst it!

When do we want it!?

As soon as it is possible for the relevant parts of the Microsoft business and MVP programme office to co-ordinate on a strategy and tactical set of resources to execute on this vision!

Hoo-hah!