System Builder MVP?

Thank you, Steve, that takes care of my concerns.

--
Michael Solomon MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User
Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/

"Steve Winfield [MSFT]" wrote in message
...
(Okay...one last post tonight... :-)... then I am really wrapping gifts)

Thanks for the clarification Michael. I can see your point in making it a
private newsgroup. Currently, we are limited to using TechNet for
newsgroups
until we get something off the ground.

The vast majority of our work will be off the MSFT OEM/System Builder
website (http://oem.microsoft.com) which requires registration and
authentication, so it meets the ideas you are espousing. This is also
where
the MVP work would be done in time.

Thanks again for your input and feel free to contact us directly at
.

See ya,
Steve

"Michael Solomon (MS-MVP)" wrote:

Steve, as one who has had his PCs built by a system builder for a number
of
years, I'm certainly familiar and I agree that such communications are
not
only imperative but should definitely be improved. We too often see
system
builders hit these newsgroups with questions that in truth don't belong
here
and that's my point. There should be specific groups for that, a
requirement of which should be that only qualified system builders
belong.
I don't believe it belongs on the public newsgroups, rather it should be
a
part of resources that Microsoft should make available to qualified
system
builders.

In that regard, I certainly think the assistance and resources offered to
the major OEMs should also be available to the many "white box" builders
around the world.

MVPs in these groups come about as a result of participation and being
noticed within the MVP community. I would think, any such MVPs in System
Builder newsgroups should be a result of similar notice of participation
and
giving consistently good information.

I'm not disagreeing with what you basically propose, only the venue which
I
don't think belongs in the public newsgroups. You have system builders
who
deal with proprietary information, who may well have foreknowledge of
coming
products, tantamount to being a beta tester, all of whom must sign NDAs.
In
fact, even the MS-MVPs are governed by such an agreement but we are the
link
to the public. You are talking about something that would be very
difficult
to control in a public setting. Beyond that, there are things, tools,
ways
of doing things that might well be provided to system builders that don't
belong in the public arena. Users, might not be able to perform many
such
functions on their own system but if talked about in public newsgroups,
it's
an open opportunity for them to try which then opens the possibility they
will end up doing something that is far outside standard use or the
parameters of use for the general public and as such, might then end up
being something we can't fix.

Having private newsgroups for what you are suggesting would resolve any
such
issues and likely make it an easier sell to Microsoft. I believe they
resources should exist but they should be backchannel as opposed to
public
newsgroups.

--
Michael Solomon MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User
Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/

"Steve Winfield [MSFT]" wrote in message
news

"boss" wrote in message
...
| Wonderful Idea!
| when can we get it up and running??

Maybe you can clean up the old barn and put on a show!!

Well, now partner, I am thinking with an extra hand (like yourself), we
could get that ole barn cleaned right out and get the ball rollin. What do
ya think?