SharePoint MVP for Another Year

Well, it’s that time of year again, and Microsoft has seen fit to keep me in the MVP program for another go around.  This will be my sixth year as an MVP.  When I first came into the program there were only a few dozen SharePoint MVP’s – now there are hundreds all over the world.  The yearly MVP summit used to be an opportunity to catch up with old friends you didn’t see very often but with the growth of the group (which is still quite small compared with groups like SQL or ASP.NET) it’s now become a way to meet new people you might not have even heard of before.  

For those of us who have been around a while, the quarterly renewal cycles can often be bittersweet – sometimes we have to say goodbye to friends who have moved on or focused their community efforts in other directions.  Despite what some people on the outside who have no knowledge of the inner workings of the program may think, it still takes a lot of work to attain and retain MVP status.  You don’t have to be the brightest technical guru or constantly on the speaking circut to become an MVP (although bouth of those certainly help) but you do have to put in the hours contributing to the community in whatever fashion suits you.  Not everyone has the capability or flexibility to continue contributing at a high level – life and circumstances change and sometimes there’s just not enough hours in the day.  It’s sad to see good people leave the program but always exciting to meet the new kids on the block.

So congratulations to all the new and returning SharePoint MVP’s.  With a new product release on the horizon it’s going to be a busy year ahead.  Be sure to join us all in Las Vegas on November 12th – 15th for SharePoint Conference 2012 for lots of learning and plenty of partying!