spiderwebwoman : MVP Summit

Congratulations 2009 Microsoft MVP!

Kathleen Anderson — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 22:44:37 GMT

Dear Kathleen Anderson,

Congratulations! We are pleased to present you with the 2009 Microsoft® MVP Award! This award is given to exceptional technical community leaders who actively share their high quality, real world expertise with others.

The Microsoft MVP Award provides us the unique opportunity to celebrate and honor your significant contributions and say "Thank you for your technical leadership."

Toby Richards
General Manager
Community Support Services

Looks like I'll be at the 2009 Global Summit!

New resource for the Expression Web Community

Kathleen Anderson — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 19:12:38 GMT

For the last couple months I've been working on a project that launched the week of the 2008 MVP Global Summit. It's a new resource for Microsoft Expression Web users - the Expression Web Wiki. The wiki was 'seeded' with content from the Expression Web Help Files, but as most wikis go, it's up for editing by the community for corrections and additions.

I had a lot of fun and frustration working on this project - I've never done a wiki before and never worked on the Unix platform. I got a lot of help from the MediaWiki Administrators’ Tutorial Guide by Mizanur Rahman, from Pam Keesey, a Technical Writer for Expression Studio at Microsoft, and from the folks at the MediaWiki User Forums. Along the way, I also got a recommendation for a great PHP editor, Eclipse PDT, from a TwitterFriend.

Please check it out and let me know what you think.

MVPs playing with Microsoft Surface at the 2008 Global Summit

Kathleen Anderson — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 22:21:00 GMT

We spent two days in the same building with the Expression Team and discovered there was a Microsoft Surface in the building. A few of got a chance to play with it on break!

Is the Dalai Lama is checking out?

Kathleen Anderson — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 23:06:00 GMT

We went downstairs a little after 3 to go over to the WSCTC to register for the MVP Summit and there were police and US State Department Displomatic Security Detail all over the lobby - we figure the Dalai Lama was checking out of the hotel - that was the rumor going around. We didn't get to see him in person.

While we were at the registration, the fire alarms went off and we all had to leave the building. And as usual, it was raining.

Tonight we are all getting together at Rock Bottom to meet and greet the Expression Product Team. I've heard we're not the only groups of MVPs meeting there - it should be a lot fun and very noisy. And we'll also get to meet Melissa Travers, our new MVP Lead!

Where has the Seattle sun gone?

Kathleen Anderson — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 21:53:38 GMT

Last night it was still around 70 degrees when we arrived in Seattle - today it's barely 40 and no sun - brrrr. I really hope it warms up again or I will be wishing I brought some shoes and socks instead of just sandals.

MVP Twitter War in Seattle

Kathleen Anderson — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 21:16:51 GMT

So far there are two groups set up on Twitter for the MVP Global Summit - @msmvpgroup and @mvp08 Follow either to keep up with the MVPs at the Summit. I think @mvp08 will win out because it's shorter - easier for texting and TinyTwitter.

2008 MVP Global Summit - Arrived safe and sound

Kathleen Anderson — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 16:22:10 GMT

and all my luggage arrived, too. The same cannot be said for Chris Leeds - Continental lost his luggage - he's on the phone with them right now trying to track it down.

The weather was gorgeous here yesterday - we all went out for a late supper at Von's, which is across the street from the Grand Hyatt. Their outdoor dining section was open last night and the street was really buzzing.

I've been watching the news this morning - the Dalai Lama is staying at our hotel, but you wouldn't know it from here.

More news later.

So where have I been and where am I going?

Kathleen Anderson — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 01:07:27 GMT

I know I've been slacking off here lately. Between working on a project that is launching next week and getting back to work full time after my rotator cuff surgery, I haven't spent much time here. And tomorrow I am leaving for the 2008 MVP Global Summit.

I was planning on leaving this morning, but my flight from Chicago was on an American Airlines MD-80 - you know where this is going, right? I have been rebooked to leave tomorrow afternoon, connecting in St. Louis and taking a Boeing 757 to Seattle. With any luck, I will be on my way there this time tomorrow night.

Check back here next week for a launch announcement and reports from the Summit!

MVP Global Summit 2008 Announcements : Guide to Global Summit Hotels

Kathleen Anderson — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 21:21:25 GMT

If you're a Microsoft MVP and you're going to the Summit in April, this post from Michael Fosmire is one you should really read. There's a lot of good information about the hotels and transportation, and links to the webcasts being held on March 25th.

Link: MVP Global Summit 2008 Announcements : Guide to Global Summit Hotels

You might be an MVP if ...

Kathleen Anderson — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 22:40:00 GMT

Sean O'Driscoll, the General Manager of the Microsoft MVP Program, has published the list of 'secret criteria' used to determine whether someone is MVP material. I have to say that a large number of them apply to me - I'm not going to say which ones.

FrontPage MVPs at the 2007 MVP Global Summit

Kathleen Anderson — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 16:49:00 GMT

Here's a group shot taken of the FrontPage MVPs at one of our platform sessions with the Expression Web Product Group, along with April Spence, our MVP Lead. I think the FrontPage MVPs are the best - we all get along so well - online and in person.

It's MVP Global Summit time again

Kathleen Anderson — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 01:58:00 GMT

The 2007 Microsoft MVP Global Summit is being held from March 12 to 15 in Seattle and Redmond, Washington. There are about 3,500 MVPs worldwide and at last count, approximately 60% of them are attending this year. It will be great to see old friends and make new ones and put faces to the names I've seen in the newsgroups. Bill Gates will be the keynote speaker and there's lots of technical and platform sessions on our schedule - and a few social events as well. On Monday night, after the Regional Dinner at the Westin, I'm going to the SupportSpace party at Gameworks. If you're an MVP and think you might want to go, get in touch with me and I'll send you an invitation.

"Office 12" will do PDF and the PDFs will be accessible

Kathleen Anderson — Mon, 03 Oct 2005 15:51:00 GMT

At the MVP Summit, Steven Sinofsky, senior vice president of Microsoft(r) Office at Microsoft Corp., made a major announcement about the next version of Office - currently known as "Office 12". PDF support will be built into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Publisher, OneNote, Visio, and InfoPath - and yes, the PDF documents will be accessible. Sinofsky said that this was the second most requested feature in Office - we didn't get a chance to ask what the first most requested feature was.

http://blogs.msdn.com/brian_jones/archive/2005/10/01/476067.aspx

MVP Summit 2005 starts in less than two hours

Kathleen Anderson — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 18:33:00 GMT

It's a beautiful day in Seattle, sunny and in the 60's - in about two hours we leave for MVP Summit registration!

I arrived yesterday, via two great flights on American Airlines, met up with Yoshie Kohama, a FrontPage MVP from Japan at the airport, and took the Airporter to the W Seattle. I've got a great room on the 19th floor, with high-speed internet access, and a beautiful view of downtown Seattle. Yoshie and I went for an early dinner last night at Elliot's on the waterfront and then did some walking around. I went shoe shopping again - bought two pairs (Cheryl, are you reading this?).

I haven't seen any other MVPs around, but that's about to change!

More later ...

Microsoft Announces Most Valuable Professional Award Recipients and Sets Date for 2005 MVP Global Summit

Kathleen Anderson — Wed, 19 Jan 2005 19:30:00 GMT

REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today Microsoft Corp. is pleased to announce the 2005 class of Microsoft® Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs). This select group of outstanding members from online and offline communities represents the richest, most technically and globally diverse community in the program's history, with more than 2,600 MVPs.

"As we enter the 11th year of the Microsoft MVP Program, we are proud to continue to recognize the most credible experts in the technical communities," said Sean O'Driscoll, global director of the MVP Program and Technical Communities at Microsoft. "MVPs are truly an inspiration to all of us and share an incredible passion for technology and for helping others."

The annual MVP Global Summit serves as the most exciting way for Microsoft to acknowledge this vibrant group of individuals for their deep and sustained technical expertise and true enthusiasm for the community. This year's event will take place Sept. 28 - Oct. 1 in Redmond, Wash., and will include executive keynote addresses from Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer, Kevin Johnson, group vice president of sales, marketing and services, and Jim Allchin, group vice president of Platforms at Microsoft. More details will be released closer to the event dates.

Another MVP Summit post

Kathleen Anderson — Wed, 28 Apr 2004 23:33:00 GMT

Well, not really a post, just a link, to photos of the Microsoft Company Store - we got to shop there during the MVP 2004 Global Summit. A great place to pick up branded merchandise to impress your friends - badge holders, toys, clothing, etc.

Pictures from the MVP Summit

Kathleen Anderson — Sun, 11 Apr 2004 18:02:00 GMT

At Julie Lerman's blog: Ambrose Little's MVP Summit pics and WS-Sushi

At MouseTrax (Diane and Greg Chapman): 2004 MVP Summit!

Albert D. Kallal: MVP 2004 Summit

James Avery: MVP Summit 2004

FrontPage MVP has a rough time getting home from the MVP Summit

Kathleen Anderson — Sat, 10 Apr 2004 14:02:00 GMT

Owners Have Outrageous Trip to the Blue Grass: Two of the owners of That's an Outrage had an eventful Thursday on their way to Lexington for Saturday's Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I)--their plane caught on fire.

Denise Moewes and Tim Dores, who race under the nom du course Bull Stick Stables, own half of That's an Outrage along with Ernie Moody's Mercedes Stable. That's an Outrage is a 30-1 hopeful in the eight-horse Blue Grass field is conditioned by the Southern California-based trainer Mike Puhich.

The two bankruptcy attorneys boarded a Delta Airlines flight from Seattle bound for Cincinnati early Thursday morning. Just after takeoff, as Moewes and Dores were seated in an exit row over the wings, they heard a "big clunk" and noticed the plane wasn't gaining altitude. Minutes into the flight, people seated behind them started screaming that the plane was on fire.

Stefan Rusynko, one of our FrontPage MVPs, was on this flight! We are so thankful that he made it back safely.

MVP Summit in the news

Kathleen Anderson — Sat, 10 Apr 2004 00:56:00 GMT

At the Microsoft PressPass site: “Executives speaking at the MVP Summit included Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer; Jim Allchin, group vice president of the Platforms Group; Eric Rudder, senior vice president of Servers and Tools; Lori Moore, corporate vice president of Product Support Services (PSS); and Rich Kaplan, corporate vice president of the Content Development and Delivery Group (CDDG).

"MVPs are an exceptionally rich resource within the user community that help us better understand our customers' needs and how they use our products," Ballmer said. "They enthusiastically empower and inspire our customers worldwide on a daily basis, helping them with practical matters as well as strategic planning."

SeattlePI Microsoft Blog: MVP Summit under wraps

Betsy Aoki's WebLog: Mighty Vivid People - MVPs at the Summit

I'll post more as I find them.

What a great way to say "Welcome"

Kathleen Anderson — Fri, 09 Apr 2004 23:56:00 GMT

I had read about the Welcome MVP Banners hanging all around the campus on Scoble's blog but it was great to see them for myself - here's one of them:

This picture was taken with my Sprint Samsung phone.

There were also banners for specific product groups - like the Windows Mobile Group.