Kicking Off 2009 In Style

I opened my email this morning to discover that I received two awards. First of all, I was awarded 7th place in the Community Credit December 2008 contest. I wasn't able to log into Community Credit for months because my user name didn't appear to be working. However, last night I was determined to submit my points for the INETA Community Champion Program before the year ended, and that program links to the Community Credit program. I eventually figured out how to get my user name, then submitted everything I could remember from the past year. My prize? The Plug Mug!

More importantly, I was awarded MVP Visual C#! I am very honored to be recognized by the MVP program for my contributions to the development community over the past year. I hope to live up to the title and deliver even more for the community in 2009!

If you're not an MVP and haven't received "stupid prizes to smart people"; here's how you do it. Get involved. If you're reading this, you're likely already a software developer of some caliber. Join your local user group. If one doesn't exist, start one. Give presentations on something that interests you. Answer questions in forums. Blog about technology. Once you do this, you may even discover that the official awards given by organizations aren't the true awards. The true awards for being involved are the people you meet, the connections you make, and the personal growth you experience.