Rick Rothstein submitted this idea :
Anyway, I just thought I'd let you know that I'm learning a
lot from your posts,

I am glad you are able to get some useful ideas and techniques from the
postings I provide on these newsgroups and that you are able to incorporate
them in your own work. Given that, you will probably find the approach I used
in my last posting back to the OP of some interest.

Since you find my postings instructive in some small ways, I just want to
give you a heads up that there is a chance I will cease my volunteer efforts
starting in October. I have a strong feeling that I will not have my MVP
status renewed when it comes up for renewal in October. I'm sure you, as well
as others, question what my having MVP status would have to do with my
continuing to volunteer answering questions on newsgroups which, of course, I
can do with or without the MVP recognition. This is true, but my volunteering
efforts take up a lot of my time... time I could be using to pursue some of
my many other interests. So, you will probably ask, why don't I just stop
now? The MVP award is given for activities performed in the year prior to its
being awarded. This has never made sense to me... after being given the honor
of being able to sign myself as an MVP, there is no obligation to continuing
doing a "good job" afterwards. Well, I have an internal "something" that
won't let me do that. I figure that if I have been given the honor of being
able to sign myself as an MVP, then I should continue trying to perform at
the same level that won me the honor in the first place. So, while this is
not Microsoft's position, I **personally** consider receiving the honor as
binding on me to continue performing at the same level (or better) as I did
the year before. If I should not be re-awarded in October, as I suspect will
probably happen, then I will consider myself free of this "self-imposed"
obligation and this, in return, would allow me to pursue those other
activities I have put off for, oh, some eight years now. If I am re-awarded,
then I'll be back as active as ever; but if I am not re-awarded, then I
won't. As I said, just a heads up in case you need it.

Yes, your last posting is very interesting indeed, and makes perfect
sense to me. It seems my own thinking is forming a similar pattern
after studying many of your postings. I think that's a good thing
overall, but there's times when it's a challenge to get things where
they fall into place as well as you seem to put them. I'm determined to
get there, though!

Thanks for the 'heads up'! I completely understand where you're coming
from. I suppose I should consider doing the same but it's hard to do
most things anymore since I'm forced to spend most my waking hours in a
wheelchair. (I have ALS ..$%^!) Anyway, between here and the VB forum
I've learned so much from all you MVPs, and so I feel I owe it to the
community to give something back. I'm a machinist/toolmaker by
profession but since I can't work at that anymore I decided to teach
myself programming (other than CNC programming) so I could turn some of
my Excel solutions into something anyone could use. My formal ed during
high school and college was business, majoring in accounting and bus.
management. I worked as a cost accountant and forensic auditor for a
fortune500 company after college, but decided I could put my formal ed
to better use working for myself. (that was back in the late 60's!)
Thus, I made a business of working at my hobby. I started using Excel
in v4 while I was teaching at community college. (They were switching
to M$O from Corel Suite) I wish I had put more time into it back then
but I had a business to look after when I wasn't teaching. I started
using VBA on Thanksgiving weekend of 2003, when I picked up my first
book by JWalk. In June 2004 I met Rob Bovey via email and have been a
devotee of the Bovey, Bullen, Green movement ever since. I can't thank
Rob enough for all the help and support he's given to my learning
process. This also extends to all the 'vets' in the NGs. I've read 10s
of thousands of postings and only this year did I start using a
newsreader. Man.., I wish I had done that long, long ago! -website UI
sucks compared to this!

I've been worried that this NG shutdown fiasco might mean losing
contact with the pros I've grown to respect over these past few years.
I'm saddened by your heads up, frankly. Your contributions will be
truly missed! I certainly will appreciate the remaining time you stick
with it all that much more. However, I do sincerely wish you best of
best wishes for your future plans. I promise I will be your fan for
life, and I'll work diligently to prove myself worthy of this honor.

Kind regards,
Garry