Bruce Hagen wrote:

I, for one, would have nothing against my name appearing in an official list
provided by MS. I just don't want my life history made public. They *could*
have two lists, but they don't. I have nothing I need to hide in my profile,
it's just a "nobody's business" thing.

You're claiming that becoming an MVP involves a background check by the
FBI to publicly divulge all your personal details rather than you
volunteering what is divulged in your MVP profile?

I see some MVP profiles that look like:

https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/pr...A-5CE4281165DB

This guy has a company that he identifies but he certainly didn't go
hogwild like:

https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/pr...6-FD9163687517

And then there is the minimalist MVP profile at:

https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/pr...F-48405A0139C4

MVP profiles range from specifying nothing beyond a name (don't know if
even that is required versus a moniker) to detailing a life history. So
obviously the MVP *does* get to pick what gets put into their profile.
That the person is in the official list means users can verify the claim
that a poster is a real MVP. There is NOTHING that mandates that an MVP
has to divulge their personal life and private details in their profile.
MVPs that hide so they cannot be verified shouldn't be surprised that
they get dumped in the same boat as posters like pcbutts1 that lie about
being an MVP.

If users can't verify your status, you don't have that status! You
saying you have it doesn't make it so. Too many times I've run into a
dead end trying to verify someone claiming they are an MVP that now
"MVP" means nothing in their nym. Too many have chosen to hide.