Benefits of Being a Groupie?

[Gwen H]

I have noticed that many of the responses to questions posted here are posted
by the same small group of people. I was just wondering, what motivates
people to spend so much time answering questions here? I like to help people
too, but are the frequent responders Microsoft employees? Or do you get some
other benefit from spending so much time answering questions? (i.e., Drumming
up business for a freelance enterprise.)

GwenH

 

[Rick Brandt]

I have noticed that many of the responses to questions posted here
are posted by the same small group of people. I was just wondering,
what motivates people to spend so much time answering questions here?
I like to help people too, but are the frequent responders Microsoft
employees? Or do you get some other benefit from spending so much
time answering questions? (i.e., Drumming up business for a freelance
enterprise.)

GwenH

It's either that or do actual work

 

[sbshelp]

i dunno gwen but i love them for their altruism and passion!

 

[sbshelp]

plus gwenneth - i hear they get a lot of sex for their work!

 

[Sylvain Lafontaine]

I make this for practising my (bad) english.

 

[Gwen H]

Yes, as a devout Christian, I get the principle of helping other people. It's
just that so few people are motivated in that way these days, I couldn't help
but wonder if some of "frequent responders" were getting another benefit. You
and anyone else who does it purely for the benefit of helping others have my
profound gratitude and respect. But when do you earn a living?

 

[Amy Blankenship]

Yes, as a devout Christian, I get the principle of helping other people.
It's
just that so few people are motivated in that way these days, I couldn't
help
but wonder if some of "frequent responders" were getting another benefit.
You
and anyone else who does it purely for the benefit of helping others have
my
profound gratitude and respect. But when do you earn a living?

I just recently started answering questions here, but I've been doing this
sort of thing in other places for years. In addition to the other benefits
listed, it gives you the chance to solve problems you might not have
otherwise encountered, gaining expertise that allows you to work faster and
answer even more questions.

It also lets you trot your pet theories in front of *real* experts who can
make you defend them or give them up, which makes your understanding of the
product much more solid...

-Amy

 

[Brendan Reynolds]

As Amy says elsewhere in this thread, I learn from my participation in the
newsgroups. I get to experience a much wider range of problems than I would
encounter in my own day-to-day work. Plus, it's just plain fun. It's like a
big on-line puzzle-book - and who would be in this business if they didn't
like solving puzzles?

 

[Larry G.]

I know that I am going to get into so much trouble for this, but here goes
anyway...What does being "a devout christian" have to do with this
discussion? Can a person still be noble and not be such? I get so angry when
christians imply that one MUST follow the other.

Larry

 

[John Vinson]

I have noticed that many of the responses to questions posted here are posted
by the same small group of people. I was just wondering, what motivates
people to spend so much time answering questions here? I like to help people
too, but are the frequent responders Microsoft employees? Or do you get some
other benefit from spending so much time answering questions? (i.e., Drumming
up business for a freelance enterprise.)

GwenH

Like most of the others who answer here, I'm not paid to do so. None
of us are Microsoft employees (even the occasional post from a Softie
is done on their own time).

My motivation is more complex than I like to think about: mixtures of
altruism, wishing to give back what I've learned, learning by teaching
(a big part of it, at least initially), egotism, addiction, boredom...

Microsoft does provide recognition to some of us who make regular
contributions to the newsgroup over time - the "MVP" designation is a
"thank you" from Microsoft. See
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/default.aspx
for a description of the program. It's got some pretty nice benefits,
such as an annual (roughly) summit meeting. However, most of the MVP's
I know answer questions for the love of answering questions, not for
the rewards.

John W. Vinson[MVP]

 

[Amy Blankenship]

I think noble means your dad was Earl or Duke...possibly Bubba.

HTH;

Amy

 

[James A. Fortune]

Dale Carnegie tells a story of how he once applied his principals to a postal
worker who served him stamps. He made a point to compliment the man and
received the expected result, appreciation. When he related the experience
to his class, someone asked, "What did you want to 'get' from him?"

"Get from him! Get from him!! Can't a person just do something nice for another
without expecting something in return?" I never forgot that reply.

Oh, I guess, like Carnegie got something from that postal clerk, I get something
from contributing here. Sometimes I'm able to help people. Sometimes they
even acknowledge it. Not to mention that I feel as if I have friends here, people
I've actually known for nearly a decade. I've never met Larry, Arvin, Lyle (or his
evil twin), nor any of the many, many others whose names I instantly recognize.
But these people are ... dare I say it, my friends, in a long distance sort of way.
We laugh together, shout at each other, sharpen each other. Yeah, we get
something.

Bon mots mon ami. There are often unexpected rewards.

James A. Fortune
(e-mail address removed)

According to the Bible no one is good, especially the righteous .

(Teacher Dog at blackboard): We see that the cat, when frightened, seems
to grow in size. Trickery. Mere trickery. -- The Far Side, Gary Larson

Is there any good in a given person? That's what their conscience is
supposed to tell them, right? Who better to judge?

 

[Tony Toews]

Well, there is a benefit from being known in some circles. I write articles,
as readers may have noticed. I often reference them in my answers. I'm
not an author because I'm the smartest or most articulate Access user.
I'm an author because I take the time to write articles.

Or maintain web sites. I have about 200 pages on Access. And when
you think about it that's about a book if I was to add screen shots.

Tony

--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm

 

[Tony Toews]

It's either that or do actual work

<guffaw>

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm

 

[Tony Toews]

Yes, as a devout Christian, I get the principle of helping other people. It's
just that so few people are motivated in that way these days, I couldn't help
but wonder if some of "frequent responders" were getting another benefit. You
and anyone else who does it purely for the benefit of helping others have my
profound gratitude and respect. But when do you earn a living?

I don't have a life. <smile> I'm posting from a restaurant, while
I'm on the road doing some work for out of town clients, sipping a
glass of wine waiting for my lasagna.

Seriously when I was starting out back in 92 or 93 on the Fidonet
Access echo I asked a few questions. I noticed that I knew more than
most so started saving answers and posting answers. (I no longer
save answers as groups google is quite efficient the few times these
days I'm stumped.

So I got hooked on answering questions. It's a good feeling when ever
week or two I get an email thanking me very much for my replies or my
website. (Other MVPs have received the odd gift but I can't say I
have.)

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm

 

[Tony Toews]

I know that I am going to get into so much trouble for this, but here goes
anyway...What does being "a devout christian" have to do with this
discussion? Can a person still be noble and not be such? I get so angry when
christians imply that one MUST follow the other.

I certainly am no devout Christian. Much to the despair of my
grandmother. <smile>

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm

 

[Arvin Meyer [MVP]]

I have noticed that many of the responses to questions posted here are posted
by the same small group of people. I was just wondering, what motivates
people to spend so much time answering questions here? I like to help people
too, but are the frequent responders Microsoft employees? Or do you get some
other benefit from spending so much time answering questions? (i.e., Drumming
up business for a freelance enterprise.)

Three things motivate me, altruism, friendship, and I'm a workaholic. I
enjoy helping folks and have all of my life. I really enjoy the camaraderie
and have met quite a few of the folks here at seminars and MVP Summits. I've
always found something to keep me busy. I maintain 4 websites, write
articles, run an Access SIG, freelance, and have a full time job, working an
average of 45 hours a week. Fortunately, I've never needed much sleep, so
all of it is possible. Oh, and did I mention that I have raised 5 kids in my
spare time, too?
--
Arvin Meyer, MCP, MVP
Microsoft Access
Free Access downloads
http://www.datastrat.com
http://www.mvps.org/access

 

[Paul Overway]

In that case, I'm underpaid! )

 

[Amy Blankenship]

It pretty much seems that the consensus on here from the answerers is that
they're *less* likely to be Christian than the average person (particularly
the average American--my British husband is constantly amazed at American
religiousness). So, is that because:

1) Question-answering posters are less likely to be American, and hence from
countries where religion is less dominant

2) The ability to answer questions comes from taking the information you're
given, slicing it up, rejecting pieces that don't work, synthesizing pieces
that do work, and putting it all together to come up with something that
solves the problem (the truth?). If this is the foundation of question
answering, it would seem to be the antithesis of faith (assuming something
that is logically inconsistent is the truth anyway).

3) Some other factor I haven't considered, like Christians who answer
questions know other people think that trumpeting your Christianity on this
type of forum isn't appropriate, and hence have kept out of the discussion?

Just wondering;

Amy

 

[Nick Coe \(UK\)]

Way back just after MS left Compuserve and set up their own
newsgroups some bloke on Compuserve called Vinson answered a
question of mine that helped me a lot.

I've been trying to get my own back ever since <g>.

--
Nick Coe (UK)
http://www.alphacos.co.uk/ AccHelp + pAnimal
http://www.pjandcoe.co.uk/ Online Store
http://www.mrcomputersltd.com/ Repairs Upgrades

In Gwen H typed: