What does being an MVP mean to you?When I first discovered the Microsoft Office Discussion Group, I saw several questions and decided to reply to a few. My passion eventually grew, and I became involved in the community regularly. I also got to know other helpers from whom I have learned many neat tricks. In April 2006, I received my MVP award. It was an honor to receive such great recognition. Being an MVP has enhanced my exposure to Microsoft’s latest technologies and allows me closer interaction with the Microsoft product team. It has also served as recognition for University application and career opportunities. If you could ask Steve Ballmer one question about Microsoft, what would it be?I would ask Steve Ballmer, “As CEO of the largest software corporation, what future plans do you have for Microsoft and how will you bring it to the next level?” and “How does Microsoft plan to fortify customer loyalty?” What do you think the best software ever written was?Great software must encompass a user interface with ease of use. Users should be able to easily navigate through the program and produce what they want. Microsoft® Office PowerPoint 2007 is definitely one of these programs. And with the introduction of new graphics engine, it has eliminated the need for using graphics-editing software to enhance images and diagrams. If you were the manager of Microsoft Office PowerPoint, what would you change?Since it is common to distribute your presentations and not everyone has PowerPoint installed on their computers, I would add a feature that allows users to easily convert a presentation into an .exe file, which has the PowerPoint Viewer embedded. I would also tackle the issue of distribution on the Web and attempt to improve the compatibility and flexibility for running a presentation in a browser. | How has Microsoft PowerPoint helped you in your daily work? And what are some of the challenges you faced?I use PowerPoint for several purposes. Some examples include creating presentations, games and artwork. When designing presentations, graphics such as 3D buttons can be created in PowerPoint without using graphic-editing software. This eliminates the process of importing work between programs. In addition, artwork created in PowerPoint can be resized flexibly without affecting the quality. The challenges that I have faced are the inability to move around slide area when creating artwork using the freeform tool, hiding objects temporarily (which was solved in PowerPoint 2007), not having mouse-over trigger animation, and the inability to group animations. Beyond that, it is also troublesome to constantly remind myself or the recipients to enable the “Use hardware graphics acceleration” function in order to prevent problems such as simple fade transitions and animation not running smoothly or pixilation while enlarging an image. What was the last book you read?The last book I read was “Fixing PowerPoint Annoyances” by Echo Swinford, which focuses on fixing the most annoying things that can happen when working with PowerPoint. What music CD do you recommend?I enjoy listening to instrumental music, which often helps to relieve stress. As a former clarinet player, I would recommend music CDs from Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman, who are both great musicians. What makes you a great MVP?I guess one of the reasons is that I actively participate in the Microsoft Office Discussion Group to assist users who are having trouble using PowerPoint. In order to proactively share my knowledge and expertise, I created PowerPoint Heaven (http://pptheaven.mvps.org), a website that focuses on maximizing the use of PowerPoint animations. The resources found on the site are free and often have been requested by educators for use as student materials. Despite being a young site, it has attracted many talented contributors from various countries such as Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Korea, Philippines and the United States. These individuals have bolstered the growth of PowerPoint Heaven by sharing their wonderful works, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them! | What's in your computer bag?Inside my computer bag, you will find a Sony VAIO laptop with Windows® Vista and Virtual PC installed, Logitech MX Revolution Cordless Laser Mouse, a 160GB external hard disk, a 1GB thumb drive, a USB cable and a Sony PlayStation Portable for leisure and music. What is the best thing that has happened since you have become an MVP?Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the MVP Summit, but I did have the opportunity to become a beta tester for Microsoft® Office 2007. It was a great experience since I became familiar with the latest features of Microsoft Office. What is your motto?“Persevere to succeed.” Although we tend to encounter countless failures in our lives, we should never sink into despair. There is nothing wrong with failing. We should learn from our mistakes, so that we can stand up again and do better the next time. Who is your hero?While I do not have a specific hero, in general, I admire people who have made significant contributions to the society, people who provide their knowledge to the World Wide Web, and those who have provided me with support when I have needed it most. What does success mean to you?When performing a task, you have to put forth your best effort. Your objective is not only to get it done, but also to do it right – to do it efficiently, but not hastily. Upon completion of the task, if you have achieved a great outcome, then it is a success. |
