This is fundamentally an example of the "drunk searching for his keys under the street light" problem: He's getting a wildly inappropriate form of recognition because that's the form of recognition Microsoft has a system for providing.
I had a similar experience with Amazon: I'm an AWS Hero not because I really make sense as an AWS Hero -- the Heroes program lives under Marketing and is fundamentally about helping people drive more customers to AWS -- but because a couple senior engineers said "we need to do something to recognize Colin's FreeBSD/EC2 work" and the Heroes program was what Amazon had in place.
Congratulations! I’m sure someone will add ‘Web’ to your award once you do something useful internet related. Maybe try writing a HTTP tool or something.
There is no assertion in the authors post to the contrary, in fact the author likely agrees with you:
> I don’t feel special or unique as this an “award” given to thousands of people, and in little Sweden alone there are like a hundred people awarded. It does not seem to be a particular high bar to be welcomed into this club.
I can relate. Couple of years ago I was recognized as a Python software foundation fellow. My contributions to the Python community got me the award (I organize Python Atlanta).
Has anything changed? Not really. It is listed in my resume but doesn’t make much difference. It has more personal meaning than anything. Feels good to be recognized every once in a while.
I actually got nominated for an MS MVP by Jon Skeet, years ago when I was a front page "C++ expert" on StackOverflow (before it all went pear-shaped). I had to turn them down as at the time I did zero Windows programming, though lots in the past. Jon & the MS guys seemed nice enough.
Congrats - but let's be honest - most people don't ask and don't care. I have have tens of certs and a few recogs through the decades and every time someone actually see or hear about it or them they're all surprised...
Well, there is a threshold to get these! Even though Microsoft hand these out to a non-significant number of people it is still not an easy feat to get one.
> I honestly have no idea and I don’t have any expectations. I don’t think it can do me much harm anyway.
Hm, most of Microsoft's MVP seems to be people who never used a conputer. At least that is my feeling after landing on answers.microsoft.com a couple of times.
Looks like it is indeed. "I am of course not at all an expert in C++, but I do know my way around C. I suspect the people over there don’t care about the difference."
This is fundamentally an example of the "drunk searching for his keys under the street light" problem: He's getting a wildly inappropriate form of recognition because that's the form of recognition Microsoft has a system for providing.
I had a similar experience with Amazon: I'm an AWS Hero not because I really make sense as an AWS Hero -- the Heroes program lives under Marketing and is fundamentally about helping people drive more customers to AWS -- but because a couple senior engineers said "we need to do something to recognize Colin's FreeBSD/EC2 work" and the Heroes program was what Amazon had in place.
Congratulations! I’m sure someone will add ‘Web’ to your award once you do something useful internet related. Maybe try writing a HTTP tool or something.
Since you seem to know some C++, could always call it the C++ URL Retrieval Library, or maybe something more pithy.
When a profile link for something like this includes a UUID (https://mvp.microsoft.com/en-US/MVP/profile/8ec06c9e-b9d0-4b...) you can tell it's not very personal.
There is no assertion in the authors post to the contrary, in fact the author likely agrees with you:
> I don’t feel special or unique as this an “award” given to thousands of people, and in little Sweden alone there are like a hundred people awarded. It does not seem to be a particular high bar to be welcomed into this club.
I can relate. Couple of years ago I was recognized as a Python software foundation fellow. My contributions to the Python community got me the award (I organize Python Atlanta). Has anything changed? Not really. It is listed in my resume but doesn’t make much difference. It has more personal meaning than anything. Feels good to be recognized every once in a while.
Congrats, OP.
Clearly he needs to append it to an overly ornate email signature block.
Too bad Microsoft is just a bunch of Ferengi in a trench coat.
That’s an insult to Ferengi.
Rule of Acquisition #3: Never spend more for an acquisition than you have to.
Rule of Acquisition #57: Good customers are as rare as latinum. Treasure them.
I actually got nominated for an MS MVP by Jon Skeet, years ago when I was a front page "C++ expert" on StackOverflow (before it all went pear-shaped). I had to turn them down as at the time I did zero Windows programming, though lots in the past. Jon & the MS guys seemed nice enough.
I know I'm wrong, but next step would probably be becoming an Independent Advisor on answers.microsoft.com to show off the MVP badge.
> Obviously the program people did not think I qualified for “web”.
this is just really, really funny on a bunch of levels
Reminds me of Ken in the Barbie movie:
> Actually my job, it’s just "beach"
Yeah, at least the transport layer and application layer.
Time to drop all those web features
Congrats - but let's be honest - most people don't ask and don't care. I have have tens of certs and a few recogs through the decades and every time someone actually see or hear about it or them they're all surprised...
Just go at it for yourself.
Grattis!
Congrats on the well deserved C++ award!
It's a major award!
Well, there is a threshold to get these! Even though Microsoft hand these out to a non-significant number of people it is still not an easy feat to get one.
It's a nice achievement to have. Congratulations.
> I honestly have no idea and I don’t have any expectations. I don’t think it can do me much harm anyway.
Hm, most of Microsoft's MVP seems to be people who never used a conputer. At least that is my feeling after landing on answers.microsoft.com a couple of times.
Is not curl written in C, lol
Looks like it is indeed. "I am of course not at all an expert in C++, but I do know my way around C. I suspect the people over there don’t care about the difference."
Somebody should write in go and call it gurl!
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