UPDATED: Contest Closed, We Have a Winner!
P Kumar has won in impressive fashion.
An Unusual MVP
I recently was awarded the title of Microsoft MVP for SQL Server, as a result of my community work around PowerPivot. Good stuff – I get access to some newsgroups, a little advance info every now and then, get to attend the MVP Summit in February, etc… oh, and I get to put the neat little MVP symbol in my email signature, displayed here at the right.
A brave new world we live in, where a guy like me who knows hardly anything about databases lands in a SQL Server MVP program. PowerPivot is a bit of a black swan, straddling the fence between hardcore db’s and the world of information workers. Makes just as much sense for me to be in the Excel MVP program really, so hopefully I will still get plugged into those feedback loops as well.
Fabulous Prizes
OK, that’s great for me and all, but how does it benefit you? Well, for starters, as part of the MVP packet, I got three MSDN subscription cards to give out!
These subscriptions must be activated within the next few months, and are good for a full year once activated.
I’m not an expert on all the particulars, but what it basically gives you is full access to the MS software catalog, for your own personal use and experimentation. Office, Windows, SQL, SharePoint, Exchange, Visual Studio, etc. – a Golden Ticket of sorts.
Contest #1: Where’s Waldo, PowerPivot Edition!
I recently discovered that some of the PowerPivot development team’s Windows Domain logon names were accidentally shipped in the product. Pretty funny.
To win the first MSDN card, all you have to do is find where that occurs, and email me: [email protected]
Simple huh? Hee hee. Whoever finds this is indeed worthy.
Rules Schmules!
If I receive multiple correct entries within the first 24 hours after this post goes live, I will randomly choose one of those entries as the winner. This will give everyone a fair chance, regardless of where you live.
After the first 24 hours, first correct entry wins.
If I have reason to believe that you already have access to MSDN, I doubt I will award you the card, so let’s leave this for people who don’t have it already ok?
Future Contests
I have not yet decided how to award the other two, but will figure it out soon. Also, I have a few other prizes that are a bit on the silly side – stuff from Microsoft with various logos on it that certify the wearer/user as nerd royalty – that I will also be giving away because my wife commands it 🙂
Watch this space for announcements.
