MVP Aryeh Goretskywas interviewed by Lenovo Connections about his experience with the MVP Award Program, his thoughts on "influencer recognition programs" in general, and how he became interested in online communities:
... what I enjoy most about being an MVP are the engagements I have with Microsoft employees, as well as my fellow MVPs. For many computer users, Microsoft is an abstraction, a logo they see when their computer boots up, or perhaps when they run a program. Microsoft is a company, though, and like any other company is made up of people. What I have found is that those people are some of the most genuinely intelligent and passionate people I have ever met, and they have gathered people whom they feel represents technical expertise in their communities. Being in contact with both Microsoft’s employees and my fellow MVPs allows me to learn a great deal. Although I left school behind many years ago, I think of myself as something of a lifelong student, and I learn quite a bit from my interactions with them.
You can read the complete interview at Lenovo Connections.