What does MVP mean to you?My thoughts of what it means to be an MVP are best summarized in the slogan for our South African user group: "By the Community For the Community." I have been an MVP for two years and recognize that the program enables me to influence and participate in communities on a global basis, thus providing opportunities both for me and the community that otherwise would not have been available. If you could ask Steve Ballmer one question about Microsoft, what would it be?I would ask Steve Ballmer, "How would Microsoft reshape the opinion voiced by some competitors and clients that Microsoft’s products may not be enterprise-ready in some respects?" At Microsoft’s inception, it was initially perceived as a PC company. However, during the company’s short history, Microsoft has grown far beyond this original perception. I am curious to know what strategies Microsoft intends to employ in order to continue to change and expand this image. What do you think the best software ever written was?I consider the best software ever written to be Microsoft Windows 98 because I feel that this release of Microsoft Windows represented the first significant breakthrough for Microsoft. Microsoft Windows® 98 was not only a superb package, but also was bolstered by an extremely effective marketing effort. Therefore, it had the advantages of being both easy-to-use and well-positioned. People who had not previously owned PCs were motivated to purchase PCs in order to have access to Microsoft Windows 98. Ultimately, it was a solid offering with clear synergy and stood out as one of the brightest offerings in the market. If you were the manager of Active Directory, what would you change?I can not think of anything that I would change regarding Active Directory at this time. Microsoft has a very solid offering with Active Directory and currently most vendors do not even leverage a fraction of the product. However, I feel that the IT professional community and the developer community have to work more closely together in order to fully utilize the breadth of the program. With regard to that point, perhaps I would opt to position the product well enough so that both communities would develop opportunities to maximize their use of Active Directory. | If you were given unlimited data bandwidth, what would you do with it?If I truly had no limits with regard to data bandwidth, I would start by downloading whitepapers and blogs, and proceed to post all of this information, which would take a very long time.What was the last book you read?The most recent book that I have read is a science book entitled "Understanding the Mind" by Steven Pinker. This is the second time that I have read this book, which explores the concept of distinguishing problems from mysteries. He declares a mystery as something that cannot be understood and can only be viewed in awe. Whereas, a problem presents an issue that can be tackled and solved. The book proceeds to analyze modern life with respect to identifying and distinguishing problems and mysteries.What music CD do you recommend?One of my favorite albums is "August And Everything After" by the Counting Crows. I enjoy this album because the way in which the lead singer Adam Duritz sings from his soul allows the music to transcend its rhythms. The way in which the album articulates a story and combines it with music is phenomenal.What makes you a great MVP?I think that the best qualities that I can offer as an MVP are my willingness to listen and care. Lately I have been exercising these traits by participating in Bootcamps where I have had an opportunity to work side-by-side with people rather than lecturing to them. I also work with a university in South Africa that hosts an outreach program for the underprivileged community. I really enjoy working with people - mainly I appreciate the opportunity to listen as well as talk. I feel this lends a more human perspective by showing others that though MVPs know a lot, we can still learn from others.What’s in your computer bag?Within my computer bag, you will find: 200GB Portable Drive, HP Laptop, 2GB Memory, 7200 RPM Drive, USB Memory Stick, a PDA, power cables from nearly every country imaginable, whitepapers, a Swiss Army knife, cross-over cable, and probably a few more items. | What’s the best thing that has happened since you’ve become an MVP?I appreciate that I have been able to travel the world and share my expertise with people around the globe. On a personal level, this has provided me with a broader understanding of the way people approach technology worldwide, as I become more familiar with the cultures of other user groups and how they perceive technology. In this sense, the IT world becomes a smaller place. Though, living in South Africa, traveling anywhere is no small feat since it usually takes more than 20 hours to fly abroad. Over the past two years, technology has been the impetus for frequent travels within Africa and nearly ten trips abroad, including destinations such as Poland, Copenhagen, United States, Amsterdam and Paris.What is your motto?My motto is the same of my South African user group - "By the Community For the Community." I worked with others to initiate a user group in South Africa because I feel that the best way to learn is to interact directly with the community, rather than being influenced by a lecture, a corporate environment or a prescriptive book. An amazing book that illustrates the concept of the power of community is "The Wave" - it shows that community propels itself and that once it drives an effort, it cannot be stopped.Who is your hero?I consider Dr. Richard P. Feynman to be my hero because I feel that he was one of the most profound people in the United States. Dr. Feynman received a Nobel Prize for his work regarding quantum electrodynamics, but he also made every effort to distill his knowledge in a way that would bring physics to the masses. Among several of his writings are two books - "Six Easy Pieces" and "Six Not-So-Easy Pieces" that were intended for as wide an audience as possible, with content that is primarily qualitative in nature, with a minimum of formal mathematics. I think that he was truly an amazing individual and his books will blow your mind.What does success mean to you?My success is very important but it is also something that I am careful to prioritize. I feel that it is important that one strives for success in one’s career because it is uplifting and ultimately serves as an enabler for yourself and your family. However, it is important to strike a balance between the desire for success with other facets within one’s life, so that the goal of success does not become a detriment to one’s family. |
