This is my 1,500th post in the Microsoft Tech Community and I thought I’d take the opportunity to share a few thoughts on what it means to part of a community like this and why it’s so rewarding.
I joined the Microsoft Tech Community after being active in the previous iteration, the original Office 365 Network, which was a Yammer based community that felt more of a club. Even though it had grown to around 80K members, it was invite only and the content wasn’t available to non-members.
The Microsoft Tech Community was different, it was open, all the posts discoverable via internet searches and it covered more topics. It's hard to imagine now but at the time, not everyone was convinced that this change was a good one. It did take me a while to get around to joining, I was the 2395th member, which meant I probably waited a few weeks.
That your posts were public now was a change that took some getting used to, no one wants to be inadvertently proved wrong or contradicted, let alone it all to be in the public domain. Being part of a community means putting that aside and just trying your best, if you have insights, share them and widen the discussion and when you can help someone with a query, it’s very satisfying.
The Microsoft Tech Community has so many different ways you can contribute and be active, whether that’s occasionally or on a more regular basis. I particular like that you can just post a topic of interest and do it in your own way and invariable other members will respond, furthering the discussion. I have learnt so much from this community, it’s off the charts!
Being a member here has been one of the most rewarding professional activities I have ever done and it continues to inspire me. Thanks to all the staff, who make this possible and everyone involved.
