>>>>>Russell,
>>>>>A Turkish saying :
>>>>>"Cat calls the meat it can't reach as crap"
>>>>>Translation is not good but I think you can get the point.
>>>>>Cetin
>>>>
>>>>Cetin, do you mean that all those non-mvp people in this thread are merely jealous?
>>>
>>>Peter,
>>>You well know I'd never mean that. Just tired of attacking posts.
>>>Cetin
>>
>>Cetin,
>>
>>I don't get the picture. How could I know that you don't mean that? (I wouldn't ask you if I knew, really.) And does 'just tired of attacking posts' mean that you're tired of people who attack mvp's in threads?
>>
>>Peter
>
>Peter,
>You would know that from my attitude for years - IOW you'd trust my saying I didn't mean that :)
>Yes I mean I'm tired of people who attack mvp's.
>Cetin

Cetin;

Well, I have to agree with you as well as say I am tired of MVP’s who attack others for expressing an observation that may be a bug or a different way of doing something that is within Microsoft’s control. This is especially bad when it becomes personal.

Microsoft does not require the MVP’s to “protect them” from the comments of others. Granted not all MVP’s engage in the behavior depicted above. However, all MVP’s may be judged by the behavior of a few. Even the MVP’s do not agree on the relationship they enjoy with Microsoft. Some (a small minority) MVP’s seem to take all this as an affront to Microsoft and themselves. Others express a more mature and realistic attitude such as yourself.

If the development community is a bit bewildered by the MVP program we should not feel alone. I do not see where the MVP’s are in agreement about his/her relationship with Microsoft. It seems to be different for a number of MVP’s. And yet we are talking about the same program!

A program such as Microsoft’s MVP appears to give some individuals the “authority to express themselves as the final word of Microsoft”. At least that is the attitude conveyed by some MVP’s. My personal feeling on this subject is that the comments and manner of expressing themselves of a few MVP’s has given some developers a bad impression of the MVP program in general. I am not surprised that different people have different thoughts on this subject.

By the way I did not understand the meaning of the Turkish saying you expressed. However, I know you well enough to realize you are a positive person and do not express malice towards others. Sometimes something gets lost in translations – as when someone from the United States hears a British joke and does not understand it. Then we say, “That must be British”, meaning “it is not funny to me”. :)

Just imagine there are real problems in the world and we are worried about this! I guess that is life. :)

Now on with something important. The World Series! Go Giants!

Tom