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| Photo by +Michael Banks |
What an amazing week!
Actually, let me back up. This amazing week actually happened about a month ago. See, back then I was in Google's Rising Star program for Google+, having a high product knowledge and an equally high disposition to share that knowledge in the Google+ Help Community, assisting other users in their G+ journeys in any way I could. I'd been in the program since its inception and was just doing what I do.
About a month ago I get an e-mail from the Community Manager for G+ +Natalie Villalobos who wanted know if I'd like to become a Top Contributor for the product. That's pretty much like being in the minor league and being called up to the majors, so because I'm not an idiot I accepted straight away! A bit of paperwork later (including a NDA), and within 48 hours I was a newly branded TC...right along with my buddy +Kim Beasley as I quickly found out.
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| Photo by +Michael Banks |
Happy to be apart of the program, I quickly got to know the other TCs in my group that I didn't know already and got to work helping to provide the #BestHelpOnTheWeb that the TCs are famous for.
The next day, I get another e-mail from Natalie, this one an almost "by the way" sort of thing, explaining that Google was having a summit for their TCs and that they'd be flying us all out to the Bay Area for a few days...and that it was happening in three weeks.
Yeah...this is pretty much the point where I had to get out of my office and walk around for a bit and process what was happening here.
Fast forward to September 30th, and the good times began!First thing was first, though - while there were fifteen G+ TC's there for me to meet, three in particular were extra important. The four of us have been friends on Google+ for a long time and became TCs around the same time period - we all took this journey together and it led us all here.
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| +Kim Beasley, +Ayoub Khote, +Michael Banks, and Yours Truly. The Fabulous Four |
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| The Google Goodies! |
Your highly motivated and truly dedicated team of TCs represented +Google+ well. We were the loudest, we had the most energy, and we were always front and center. There's not a single person who was there that doesn't know who the G+ TC 10X Mafia is!
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| Front and Center! Photo credit: +Ayoub Khote |
Anybody can be a Top Contributor - it just takes a lot of work and a lot of love. Basically a TC is a fellow user with a high level of product knowledge that uses it to help other users in the official Forums and/or Community. TCs are chosen by Community Managers or suggested to CMs by other TCs, who look for consistency and the quality of a person’s answers.
Being a TC is a lot of hard work, but there are some perks (like being able to attend the TC Summit). You’ll tend to learn of new products and features long before anyone else, you have the ear of Product Managers and other Googlers actively looking for feedback for future changes/additions to the product, and a whole lot more!
You can go here for more information on the TC program, and if you think you have what it takes to join our ranks feel free to apply!
It truly hurt to have to leave my friends and come back home (I started missing our CMs the instant I'd left their presence), but it's good to know that we are all just a Hangout away and in two years we're doing it all over again! I'll leave you with this summation from +Ayoub Khote.
"We are the crazy ones, the loud, the proud, the happy dancers, the new kids on the old block... the ones who do things differently -- we're not fond of formality... You can join us, be annoyed by us, admire or vilify us, but the only thing you can't do is ignore us because we will change things... we will push a louder, prouder, Googlier help experience, and while some may see us as the crazy ones, we see wonder, because we who are crazy enough to be loud and proud, to make noise and not care, to not stop until we have answers, and to be more than a team, but be family? We can change the world, and our sense of wonder and joy are the things that will ensure we do."
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| Your Google+ Top Contributor team. |
