"MikeS" wrote

| MVPS is a Microsoft Volunteer Professional.

Most Valued Professional. Here's a logo on Randy
Birch's homepage:

http://vbnet.mvps.org/welcome.htm

In addition to professional status, it's my
understanding that an MVP also gets free copies
of just about everything, though they're supposed
to be for "development purposes only".

In my experience I've seen a lot of very helpful
and generous MVPs. Also some know-it-alls and
holier-than-thou types. And an occasional religious
fanatic for whom Microsoft can do no wrong. I guess
it's like any group affiliation in that way. People
approach it differently. People also vary in their
ability to deal with other people and communicate.

But I'm not sure I can see any correlation between
amateur vs pro in terms of who's more helpful. I've
seen plenty of very helpful, modest and generous
pros (Randy Birch and Karl Peterson come to mind).