What It Means to Be a PowerShell MVP
Summary: Four Windows PowerShell MVPs share what the title means to them. Microsoft Scripting Guy, Ed Wilson, is here. The MVP Summit is over. Many MVPs began their long trek home last night. Others decided to remain overnight or even over the weekend before heading home. From the feedback I have received, one thing is for sure, this year’s MVP Summit was one of the best ever. The big question is, “Why?” Why do the MVPs do what they do? I mean, they have to pay for their own travel to come to the Summit. They have to share a room (or pay for their half of a room). And to be honest, it is a long, brutal schedule once they are at the Summit. Up early, back in the room late, and then do it again. Top this off with the fact that some of the MVPs had more than a 30 hour flight to get to Seattle, so they are completely jet lagged. And the question of “Why?” is even more pertinent. So I asked several MVPs, “What does it mean to be a MVP?” The answers may surprise you…
Windows PowerShell MVP, Boe Prox
To me, being an MVP means being a voice for Windows PowerShell. It means helping others in the community learn the language and how they can apply it in their daily work, and answering any questions that they may have along the way. As an MVP, I am in a position to have communication with the product team and provide feedback on bugs. I am able to provide opinions on items that have been brought up by the product team and the other MVPs. By having this great honor of being an MVP, I want to work even harder to provide the best information to people in the community who have always been extremely helpful and communicative with one another. I also want to continue to provide new scripts and modules to the community to hopefully provide help in areas that need it. I wouldn’t be an MVP if it wasn’t for the community that believes in the work I do blogging and using the scripts and other tools that I have worked on and continue to work on. With that, I say, “Thank you!”
Windows PowerShell MVP, Steven Murawski
This year marks my third year as a Microsoft MVP. This award has been one of the most humbling and enabling recognitions I’ve ever received. Being a Microsoft MVP is an interesting experience. Although many MVPs are brilliant, brilliant technical competence is not a prerequisite to be an MVP. The MVP award is really driven by the ability to share. This sharing can be directly with the community via blog posts, user groups, conferences, or open source software. It could also be in feedback to the Windows PowerShell team, filing Connect items, or rolling out new features into test environments and/or production. In my case, I believe it is a mixture of these things. And as an MVP, you cannot become complacent. Our community is full of members who are doing great things and sharing them with the greater Windows PowerShell community. MVP awards are evaluated yearly and there is no implied guaranty that you’ll continue to be awarded. To me, being an MVP is about Microsoft recognizing my efforts to share my experience back with the community that has given me so much. Being an MVP has opened doors to user groups and conferences that I might not have otherwise been invited to. It also has an implied obligation (to me) to continue sharing and helping others succeed. I see it as a modern day “noblesse oblige.” Although MVPs are not any sort of nobility, we have been granted levels of access to product teams and other MVPs that not everyone has. As an MVP, it is my obligation to share those things that I feel can help bring my fellow system admins, developers, and DBAs to better places in their roles. Being an MVP is also a humbling experience. I’m indebted to the people who continue to listen, be at user groups and conferences, read my blog posts, and ask me questions. The fact that I can provide some small value to the community at large is so rewarding, and I look forward to continuing to earn that privilege.
Windows PowerShell MVP, Richard Siddaway
I view being a Windows PowerShell MVP as a recognition, an honor, and a privilege. At its most simplistic, it’s recognition of my technical ability with Windows PowerShell, and more importantly, of the contributions I’ve made to the community by blogging, writing, speaking, and answering questions about Windows PowerShell. More importantly, it’s an honor to be a MVP (especially for 7 years) in that my Windows PowerShell-related activities have been deemed to be worthy of one of approximately 4000 MVP awards that are bestowed annually. Being an MVP is a great privilege because I get to work with the other Windows PowerShell MVPs and the Windows PowerShell team, promoting and explaining Windows PowerShell to the wider community. Being an MVP is interesting, fascinating, and hard work. It has supplied some of best IT related experiences I’ve had. Priceless.
Windows PowerShell MVP, Teresa Wilson
Being an MVP is such an honor, and it is quite difficult to fully explain. I did not set out to become an MVP, but at the same time, I did not turn it down. Someone nominated me to become an MVP, and that was an honor all on its own. Then to actually be awarded was a thrill. In life, there are many kinds of people—leaders and followers, givers and takers, introverts and extroverts, and all the personalities in-between. I am by no stretch of the imagination perfect, but I do strive to treat others with respect and harm no one. And if I can help another person in any way, I am happy to help. Over the years, I guess it all added up, and someone sent in the nomination for me to have a chance at being awarded an MVP status. One of the biggest assets for me is that I am a firm believer in Microsoft as a company and their products. Sure, not all of the products are 100% perfect out-of-the-box, but they were all created by humans, and we know that humans are not perfect. However, I am a happy and proud that I buy and use Microsoft products. I am especially a supporter of Windows PowerShell. Not because I am an IT pro and I need to use it every day—but rather, in my past as an accounting person, the profit a company shows each year is an important part of success. I firmly believe if companies train their employees to use Windows PowerShell to automate tasks, there will be an increase in the company’s profits. All of that to say that I am privileged to have the opportunities to help individuals learn about Windows PowerShell and work toward being more efficient in their workplace. This week in Washington at the MVP Summit has been rewarding. I have had the chance to interact with the Windows PowerShell team, other Windows PowerShell MVPs, and MVPs from other areas of expertise. I won’t forget this week for a long time. Thanks to our MVPs! Join me tomorrow when I will talk about updating Windows PowerShell Help. I invite you to follow me on Twitter and Facebook. If you have any questions, send email to me at scripter@microsoft.com, or post your questions on the Official Scripting Guys Forum. See you tomorrow. Until then, peace.
Ed Wilson, Microsoft Scripting Guy
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