The Microsoft MVP Award is refreshed yearly and recognizes individuals who are expert in various Microsoft technologies. 'Help MVPs' focus on Microsoft documentation systems.  This page lists the many recipients of the Help MVP award.

Who are the Help MVPs?

The Help MVPs are a diverse bunch. We train, lecture, write software, write books & articles, create web sites, run discussion groups and of course write documentation.  We are passionate about the Help Experience and support the various Microsoft help teams as well as the many end-users that use the MS help technologies. Most of this group help out in online communities whether they currently have the award or not.

Help MVP History Overview

  • 1995: Bill Meisheid & Stefan Olson become WinHelp MVPs under the Windows SDK group.
  • 1997: The MVP movement was mostly for developer types. Peter Plamondon [MS] formed his own group of Microsoft Help technology experts for HTML Help. New MVPs: Cheryl Lockett Zubak, Dana Cline, Scott Boggan & Mary Deaton.
  • 1999: Big growth for HTML Help -- New MVPs: Robert Chandler (AU), Paul Neshamkin,  Jeff Hall (UK), Paul O’Rear, MJ Plaster, Josef Becker (DE), David Liske.
  • 2000:  In Oct 2000, the Microsoft MVP leed Jannie Clark, announced that the charter members (recruited by Peter) were now official Microsoft MVPs.  Also Yuko Ishida (JP) became a Help MVP.
  • 2002:  Paul O'Rear (Help MVP 1999-2002) joined Microsoft, working with help technologies in the developer division. MS Help 2 was developed for Visual Studio help and more Help MVPs were added - Bill Burns, Char James-Tanny, Dana Worley, Rick Stone, Rob Cavicchio.
  • 2003: New Help MVP: Pete Lees (UK).
  • 2004: Mid 2004 Peter Plamondon left Microsoft for green pastures leaving the job of Help MVP lead to Paul O'Rear.
  • 2007: New Help MVPs - Frank Palinkas, Ulrich Kulle (DE).
  • 2014: April 2014 Microsoft retired 'Help' as a MVP Technical Expertise, reflecting the desire to move away from desktop computing.

Postmortem by Rob Chandler: 

For myself it all started with an interest in WinHelp (Win 3.0), then HTML Help (Win95), then a host of VS & Windows help systems.  Building information systems and taming large amounts of documentation using TOC/Index/Search navigation aids. Online and Offline help. Empowering users with organized information. Read more...


 
  Bill Burns (2002-2008) - 7 yrs
 USA
 > Linkedin
 Bill Meisheid (1995-2001) - 7 yrs
 USA
 > Sageline Publishing  
 > Linkedin
 Char James-Tanny (2002-April 2014) - 13 yrs
 USA
 > Help Stuff | Blog
 > HAT-Matrix.com
 > Linkedin
 Cheri Lockett Zubak (1997-2005) - 9 yrs
 USA
 > Linkedin 
 Dana Cline (1997-2005) - 8 yrs
 USA
 > LogicSmith

 Dana later became a Media Center MVP.
 Dana Worley (2002-April 2014) - 13 yrs
 USA
 > Linkedin
 David Liske (1999-2006) - 8 yrs
 USA
 > Help Technologies
 Frank Palinkas (2007-Dec 2008) - 2 yr
 An American working in Oslo, Norway
 > Linkedin
 Mary Deaton (1997-2000) - 4 yrs
 USA
 > Linkedin
 
Josef Becker (1999-2000) - 2 yrs
Germany
> helpmaster.helpmvp.com

  Paul Neshamkin (1999-April 2014) - 6 yrs
 USA
 > Paul Neshamkin Group
 > Linkedin 
 Paul O'Rear (MVP 1999-2002) (MS Tech Lead) - 4 yrs
USA 
 > Helpfulsolutions.com | LinkEdin
Paul joined MS in 2002 and eventually became  the new Help MVP Technical Lead.
 Peter Plamondon (Original MS Lead)
 USA 
 > LinkEdin
 Peter formed the first Help MVP group in 1997.  With MS for 10 years (Nov.94-July2004) and  now working for HP.
 Rob Cavicchio (2002-2007) - 6 yrs
 USA
 > Linkedin 
 Rob Chandler (1999-April 2014) - 15 years
 Australia
 Author of FAR HTML Software.
 > The Helpware Group | Blog
 > Linkedin 
 Rick Stone (2002-2011) - 10 yrs
 USA
 > Linkedin
 Scott Boggan (1997-2006) - 10 yrs
 USA
 > Linkedin
 Stefan Olson (1995-2001) - 7 yrs
 New Zealand
 > OlsonSoft
 > Linkedin 
 Ulrich Kulle (2007-2009) - 3 yrs
 Germany
 > www.help-info.de | Blog
 > Linkedin

 Yuko Ishida (2000-2010) - 11 yrs
 Japan
 > KeiYu HelpLab
 
Subpages (2): Help History MVP Summits