ASP Insiders - Do we need that ?

19 Comments

• Actually your points are spot-on. It's not meant to be an 'elite' group at all, but a way to recognize people for their contributions by their peers. In fact you'll find that many are also MVPs.
  
  
  
  No secrets, no special-hand shakes :)
  

• I understand Rob but the question is Do we need another group ?
  
  
  
  Why not using the blog phenomena(and no I don't talk my blog but more generally) and pushing people communicationg and exchanging through this way ?
  
  
  
  I found strange also tha Microsoft sponsored ASP Insiders. Does it mean it's really linked or is it independant ? In this case why do you need Microsoft so closely ?
  

• I agree with that. Well not fully with the MVP, I think they have their advantages. Remind me the evangelists with Apple.
  
  But I have the feeling that recently the title has been used too much for some mercantile purposes. Not sure .Net community needs that at the moment. And what really Insiders going to do ? And yes the site is there since many months and it's still really empty space. I am also totally with Frans. My knowledge is certainly not as extensive as many guys here, but I like to help, and the fact that I am now working inside a government body help me thinking community.
  
  

• Just noticed AspOutsiders.com has been registered... :-) Damn, was going to buy that too!
  

• I also think that Microsoft haven't enough MVPs in europe. I have absolutly no clue if one has been awarded here in Ireland, but surely nobody I know really cares.
  

• Well Scott and Frans what do you think about doing our group ;-)
  
  Maybe we can ourselves the ASP sliders !
  
  

• We look to the ASPInsiders as a group of individuals to solicit ideas from. But they also have unique identity to help stand-out, and we recognize that.
  
  
  
  Personally, I think the blog phenomena is awesome. Collecting information from it is difficult though. It means you have to read everything everyday - I can tell you right now that's pretty challenging. Just trying to follow some of the recent discussions on my blog has been challenging to say the least <g>! For example, to follow this discussion I have to visit your blog along with any other person's blog that wants to discuss it - it's easy to miss stuff.
  
  
  
  The ASPInsiders are about people-helping-people with ASP.NET. You'll notice that most of the current members are authors or people who run community sites. Such as Doug & Donny from DotNetJunkies or Scott from weblogs.asp.net - using your examples.
  
  
  
  As for the relationship between the ASPInsiders and Microsoft - it is independent, but we have a close working relationship.
  
  
  
  I would really suggest checking out their site. It's not meant to be a super-exclusive group. In fact, it's meant to be the opposite: a way to recognize people that go above and beyond in the ASP.NET community.
  

• Scott so why an elected board to recognize people ? What are the criteria ?
  
  And how you think this elite, yes I still think it's an elite, will be monitored on their performances to help the community ?
  
  how are you going to stop some young wolf to use this as a way to deal a good job ?
  
  

• So ASPInsiders is another source of information for Microsoft - so they're kind of like 'the communities' unelected representatives right, a sort of QANMO (Quasi Autonomous Non Microsoft Organisation) ? So what is the point of knowing about them or visiting the site - they already run most of their own sites on which they publish.
  

• On another point though, this has given me the idea for a comments discussion tracking function for my blog (it is a bugger to track these things...on blogs other than your own)
  

• Sorry in my last comment I was asking questions to Rob, not Scott. Well unless Scott is an Insider now.
  
  Strange Insiders sounds so much like the Persuaders.
  

• very much an outsider :-) (though not in the S E Hinton sense)
  

• > comments discussion tracking function
  
  I could totally use that!
  
  
  
  It's really a shame that the view is being taken of it being elitist - as it most certainly is not.
  

• Rob I think this is exactly the basis of this group. A small group of people who decide about their new members. This exactly a right definition for elitism, like masonry for example or more modern the Lion's club (I was part of that long time ago ;-)).
  
  The club was electing their new members using more their professional relations than really based on some life accomplishment
  

• OK guys I let you discuss more now if you want to, I have my wife waiting for me with a nice glass of white wine, so .Net subjects will be on hold for the moment ;-)
  
  I will try to reply later in case of some debate.
  

• Scott is that tool ready yet, I'm having to camp out here to follow the discussion :)
  
  
  
  > exactly the basis of this group
  
  I know that's the perception, but that is not the reality. There is no small group of people making the decisions, the members vote new members in (as well as re-elect board positions).
  
  
  
  MVPs are selected by Microsoft using a set of criteria. This group performs its membership selection itself. Many in fact already are MVPs.
  
  
  
  ASP.NET only has about 25 MVPs. We can use this group to expand that number of people recognized for their contributions.
  
  
  
  I would really encourage you to look at the current membership list. I think you'll quickly see that it's not a 'best friends' network, but a list of strong contributors to the ASP.NET community. People who have built or shared resources to the benefit of everyone else, .Text is a great example, right?
  
  
  
  > The club was electing their...
  
  That is why Microsoft participates in the group. To prevent just this from happening.
  

• Good point, Paschal, wife+chardonay sounds very good! :)
  

• Hey Frans how do you know for the Chardonnay. Are you behind the couch ;-)
  
  Have to stop talking now, well no I mean writing
  

• OK, as a board member of the ASPInsiders, let me see if I can address some of the concerns expressed here.
  
  
  
  The short answer to the question "ASP Insiders - Do we need that ?" is that ASPInsiders wasn't founded to serve the community directly, but rather to serve the community indirectly by providing feedback to the ASP.NET team on upcoming versions of their software.
  
  
  
  ASPInsiders is NOT meant as "another MVP program" or anything like it. The criteria by which we select members does include community activity, but what we primarily look for is people who would be good candidates to provide feedback to the ASP.NET team (and potentially other vendors) on their products. Most of the people who formed the current board and membership are people who have been involved in the Whidbey alpha programs and have provided valuable feedback to the ASP.NET team on the early builds.
  
  
  
  And with all due respect to Rob, I disagree that the ASPInsiders isn't exclusive. Of necessity it is exclusive to some degree. Not everyone can be a member, as we simply cannot open membership to just anyone and have the group perform its function(s) efficiently. Members are selected based on nominations from current members who recommend people with solid expertise in ASP/ASP.NET and who have a good track record of activity of some kind within the community. Once a candidate has received a specified number of nominations, they are presented to the board for a vote. If passed, they are invited to become members. It's as simple as that. Nothing sinister or secretive about it.
  
  
  
  I can sympathize with your questions about whether another "community group" is necessary, but I hope that understanding the purpose of the group will make it clearer why the ASPInsiders group exists. And I'll be honest with you that we are still, as a group, trying to work out how to present the group to the public in such a way as to minimize confusion about where we fit, or why we're here. Hopefully my comments will reduce, rather than increase, any confusion.
  
  
  
  Please note that while I am a board member of the ASPInsiders, my statements here are my own, and not necessarily the official position of the ASPInsiders or its board.