MVP Summit–First Day Reports

mredwilson

Summary: Windows PowerShell MVPs share their Summit experiences.

Here is a report Windows PowerShell MVP, Steve Murawski

The MVP Summit is one of my favorite times of the year despite the fact that [MVP.Summit] -notcontains 'Sleep'. Why is the Summit one of my favorite times? Well, I'll tell you. First, you have a thousand or two zealous community members (more on that in a second) descend on Bellevue, Washington. It is almost guaranteed that you'll spend time talking to MVPs in other product areas and start learning bits and pieces about what is happening in their area of focus.

The difference between the attendees of the MVP Summit and a conference like TechEd, for example (at least from those of us in the PowerShell MVP group), is that everyone is willing to engage in spirited discussions about the technology and process that matters to us and our industry. There are very few passive listeners. Being a passive listener isn't a bad thing, but having so many colorful expressions of opinions and experiences makes for a very entertaining and informative time.

Second, the Windows PowerShell team comes out in force to engage with the MVP community. The Windows PowerShell team has long been one of the most accessible product teams at Microsoft, and they've made a point to be present at community events (like the PowerShell Summit) and active via their blog and Twitter. There is a different feel joining the Windows PowerShell team on their home turf. It's like they are more relaxed and more engaged all at the same time.

Finally, the MVP Summit offers a ton of opportunities outside the event to network, show off projects, and ask questions of people who are as interested in the technology as you are.

So, now to the point of this little missive…

One of the main focuses of the MVP Summit is to allow product teams to engage with the MVP community. Although I can't talk about the sessions themselves, this engagement carries on past the sessions. And today for me, that additional engagement carried through to a dinner with the product team and a little shindig that Chef (my company) organized. The technical and community conversations flowed late into the night, ranging from "What is this DSC thing anyway, and why should I care?" to "I love Chocolatey…Oh look! There's Rob Reynolds who wrote it!."  

The Scripting Wife made her presence known at this Summit, and with her present, no one could feel left out. Tomorrow is another big day with a welcome reception for all the MVPs, which will be capped off with a late night discussion around testing with Pester that a few of us organized on the side.

Here is a report from Windows PowerShell MVP, Teresa Wilson

We spent the day in Windows PowerShell sessions. Unfortunately, they were all protected by NDAs, so I am unable to say what they were about or what was talked about. The big thing is that I was able to get to see the various Windows PowerShell MVPs and even some MVPs who are not Windows PowerShell. For example, I got to see Shane Hoey, who used to be a Windows PowerShell MVP from Australia. He is still from Australia, but now he is a LYNC MVP.

One of the really cool things was getting to see Dia Reeves, who as you may know, edits the Hey, Scripting Guy! Blog. I really appreciate all the work that she does. Here is a picture with Richard Siddaway, Sean Kearney, Dia, and me. Richard, Sean, and I have been guest bloggers on the HSG Blog, and as a result, we have all been recipients of Dia’s fine work.

By the way, if you have not read it, she wrote a really cool blog post a while back where she talked about the blog process. Check it out: The Scripting Editor Tells All.

Oh! Sean Kearney and I did a MVP showcase project. It was accepted, which is a pretty big deal. It dealt with the Windows PowerShell community and with Dr. Scripto and the Hey, Scripting Guy! Blog. Here is a picture from the showcase:

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