14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is preparing to reward members of the communities built around online properties such as MSDN, TechNet and Microsoft Answers.
The Redmond company announced the introduction of the Microsoft Community Contributor Award on November 10th, 2010 and is gearing up to also reveal the first recipients of the awards early next week.
A spokesman for the software giant explained to me that the new accolades are aimed to recognize the contributions and efforts from not only moderators but also members on the company’s online communities.
The awards however are not available for Microsoft’s own employees or for existing Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs), but only for the people that volunteer their time and knowledge in order to help other members of the communities around MSDN, TechNet and Microsoft Answers.
Recipients of the Microsoft Community Contributor Award should not expect financial incentives or any other forms of payment from the software giant, because it will not be the case.
However, the company is ready to offer them access to such resources as the Microsoft Press E-Reference Library free of charge.
“As a Microsoft Community Contributor awardee, Microsoft is pleased to offer you a 12 month subscription to Microsoft Press E-Reference Library at no cost as our way of saying thank you for making a difference in Microsoft online technical communities,” the company revealed.
Users can already visit the Microsoft Community Contributor webpage (www.microsoftcommunitycontributor.com), however, Microsoft notes that the first round of awardees will only be announced on November 15th.
“The first round will focus primarily on moderators, but subsequent rounds – which will be conducted on a monthly basis – will focus on the larger online community,” the Microsoft spokesman told me.
The Microsoft Community Contributor Award will last one year after the accolade will be announced, and recipients can be selected either by Microsoft itself or recommended by MVPs.
“More and more technology users are seeking ideas and solutions for enhancing their technology experience through online resources.
“Microsoft reviews the contributions of participants who offer their time and energy to online technical communities such as Answers, MSDN and TechNet to identify those who make notable contributions for possible recognition as a Microsoft Community Contributor.
“In addition, Microsoft Community Contributors can be recommended by Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals, who serve as deep technical experts and thought leaders in the community,” the company said.