What's an MVP?

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What's an MVP?

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Steve Jones - SSC Editor

Posted Tuesday, July 08, 2008 9:48 PM

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Comments posted to this topic are about the item What's an MVP?

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Post #530463

Posted Tuesday, July 08, 2008 11:54 PM

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I spoke with the South African MVP lead back in March on this topic. He said that in his opinion (not an official MS statement) the most important quality is passion.

If a person is passionate about something then they are going to put in the time and effort to improve their skills and widen their knowledge and they are going to share that passion and knowledge with others (whether those others want it or not)

Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server 2008, MVP
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

We walk in the dark places no others will enter
We stand on the bridge and no one may pass

Post #530494

Posted Wednesday, July 09, 2008 3:46 AM

Old Hand

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"I am sure that quite a few people would try to game the system in order to get the award for a year and all the benefits that come along with it."

What are "all the benefits that come along with it"?

Post #530596

Posted Wednesday, July 09, 2008 4:46 AM

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umailedit (7/9/2008)

What are "all the benefits that come along with it"?

The prestige of the title for one and the industry recognition that comes with it. I'd consider that one of the major benefits. Especially when you know that the number of MVPs worldwide is capped at 4000

Free software, invitation to the MVP summit at in Redmond every year, ... there's more.

Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server 2008, MVP
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

We walk in the dark places no others will enter
We stand on the bridge and no one may pass

Post #530620

Posted Wednesday, July 09, 2008 7:05 AM

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MVP has been a huge success for MS and I'm not sure there's any reason for them to change any part of the program from their perspective.

From my perspective I can think of a few changes they could make that would add value to the community:

- Publish a little better set of guidelines on what they are looking for
- Set term limits. As a suggestion I'd say you can be an MVP for 2 years, then you're automatically out for a year. This would allow for more 'new blood' in the program and insure that they are hearing opinions from more than the same set of MVP's year after year after
- Include in the MVP Bio why they were selected, something beyond 'passion'

As far as the guidelines, I'm not privy to them but if you were to research the SQL MVP's you'd find that they fall into a few categories:

- Well known authors. Get published!
- PASS volunteers
- Strong community participants in either user groups or online discussion
- Other

Passion probably describes those well and it's subjective by nature, but it would be nice to know that you've got a chance to get in the game if you write x articles, do y forum posts, or speak at z user group events.

The downside to the MVP is that it's a club, once in no one wants to leave. That in turn could lead to them singing the MS song a bit louder than they might otherwise. Cynical? Perhaps!

Andy
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Post #530740

Posted Wednesday, July 09, 2008 9:41 AM

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As a DBA who manages on different platforms and databases than just SQL Server, the downside I see is that anytime I see a quote from anyone tagged as a Microsoft MVP, I almost reflexively (and probably unfairly) categorize it as "Uh-oh, someone blessed and anointed by Microsoft. I'm sure they are only parroting the party line." I guess the fear is that they can no longer be safely considered to be an independent voice.

But the sheer low number automatically makes it a great honor. Congratulations.

Post #530977

Posted Wednesday, July 09, 2008 9:41 AM

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I've know a few MVP's and have come to the conclusion that these are advocates, users, promoters, and extenders of MS technologies. They might be specialists in one area or many and are very good at what they do. Their knowledge of the product(s) are very deep and authors and speakers are prime targets for membership.

It is not really a club of buddies etc, but an association of highly skilled technical professionals.

One of the bennies that comes from MVP is that they are kept more up to speed on many things. This might be an advantage but also for MS's benefit the MVP may update their book, white papers or training classes earlier to assist MS in early adoption of products.

It works both ways and is a good program for all.

Congratulations Steve, you deserve the recognition for all the work and effort. Very well done sir! Exclamation Mark

Exclamation Mark

Miles...

Not all gray hairs are Dinosaurs!

Post #530978

Posted Wednesday, July 09, 2008 9:54 AM

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A sports MVP knows how to get one... serve the team and go the extra mile. Should be no different for SQL Server or any of the other categories open for MVP except it's "serve the public" and "the trade" which is the extended team. Shouldn't have to tell anyone how to do that whether it's their job... or not. No one had to tell Steve Jones or any of the recent MVP's on SQL Server Central how to serve the public. And, although some MVP's are looked at as carrying on the Microsoft Party line, I've seen several and personally know a couple of MVP's (1 in particular Hehe

Hehe

) that have been known to strongly disagree with some areas that Microsoft has done.

In my eyes, MVP is not about party lines or product... it's about quality service to the "community" at large.

--Jeff Moden

"RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for "Row-By-Agonizing-Row".

First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
Stop thinking about what you want to do to a row... think, instead, of what you want to do to a column."

For better, quicker answers on T-SQL questions, click on the following...
http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Best+Practices/61537/

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http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/SQLServerCentral/66909/

Post #530998

Kathi Kellenberger

Posted Wednesday, July 09, 2008 10:18 AM

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It is a huge honor. The bad thing is now people think I should know everything there is to know about SQL Server. Just like everyone else, I am learning new things every day! What it actually is for, is not knowing everything, but sharing what you know with the community. I hope that there are a lot of people out there who can write T-SQL better because they read some of my articles.

Aunt Kathi
Microsoft
(Former SQL Server MVP)

Post #531028

Posted Wednesday, July 09, 2008 10:21 AM

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Steve,

In your editorial you write, "I'm not sure why I was picked."

That's very humble. But as someone who has benefited from the SQL expertise that you and many others bring to this site, I can tell you that there are uncountable reasons why you were picked as an MVP. The service your site provides and the effort you put in to keeping the SQL Server community connected and informed are only two such reasons.

If they had not picked you for MVP status, then I'm not sure who would ever qualify. w00t

w00t

Congratulations, and thanks.

Best regards,
webrunner

-------------------
"The chemistry must be respected." - Walter White

"A SQL query walks into a bar and sees two tables. He walks up to them and says 'Can I join you?'"
Ref.: http://tkyte.blogspot.com/2009/02/sql-joke.html

Post #531030

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