LDS Tech Awards

[McDanielCA]

The Church is anxious to leverage the LDS technical community. We have made great first steps by engaging you here on the forums. We are grateful for the recommendations, feedback, and contributions you have made and continue to make. We would like to recognize these efforts and continue to encourage participation.

In order to do this, we are designing a recognition program. The purpose of this recognition program is to recognize those in the community that have contributed in a significant way. Winners of this award will receive a plaque and will receive instructions on how they can attend via the web one of our department meetings wherein they will be recognized. However we would like your input on the specifics of the program. Questions for you to consider:

• What should we name the program? Our current thinking is “LDS Tech Awards”
• What categories should we present awards in? Currently we are thinking about the following categories with accompanying requirements.

• • Thought Leadership
    • Active involvement with the LDS technology community
    • Assists community members with troubleshooting and provides helpful feedback.
    • Thinks creatively and provides viable solutions.
  • Development Initiative
    • Creates products that are meant to provide a service and fulfill specific needs of the Church.
    • Collaborates with the technical community to provide the most user-friendly products possible.

• How often should we provide awards? We are thinking about doing this twice a year.
• How do we gather nominations? We were thinking about having a form on tech.lds.org that people fill out. Is this sufficient?
• Awards are tricky and we have a fixed budget for this program. However we were thinking of presenting winners with a plaque and with instructions on how to “tune in” via the Web to our department wide meeting where the winners would be recognized for their efforts. What other ideas do you have about what the winners would receive?
• Are there other details or ideas we have not thought of?

[mkmurray]

Perhaps instead of just "LDS Tech Awards", there could be the word Community in there somewhere...

Like "LDS Tech Community Awards"?

[mkmurray]

I suppose a form to fill out would be great for the first go-around. Perhaps we can start a community project like Tom's Ask A Question workflow to design some web-based way of nominating and/or voting for candidates.

[russellhltn]

Church employees included or excluded?

For-profit products included or excluded?

How often should we provide awards? We are thinking about doing this twice a year.

What would we call it? "2007" is easy for an annual award. Winter/Summer for the semi-annual?

[thedqs]

1. What should we name the program? Our current thinking is “LDS Tech Awards”
2. What categories should we present awards in? Currently we are thinking about the following categories with accompanying requirements.
   1. Thought Leadership
      1. Active involvement with the LDS technology community
      2. Assists community members with troubleshooting and provides helpful feedback.
      3. Thinks creatively and provides viable solutions.
   2. Development Initiative
      1. Creates products that are meant to provide a service and fulfill specific needs of the Church.
      2. Collaborates with the technical community to provide the most user-friendly products possible
3. How often should we provide awards? We are thinking about doing this twice a year.
4. How do we gather nominations? We were thinking about having a form on tech.lds.org that people fill out. Is this sufficient?
5. Awards are tricky and we have a fixed budget for this program. However we were thinking of presenting winners with a plaque and with instructions on how to “tune in” via the Web to our department wide meeting where the winners would be recognized for their efforts. What other ideas do you have about what the winners would receive?
6. Are there other details or ideas we have not thought of?

1. I aggree with Mike that community should be in there, how about the The LDS Community Byte Award?
2. These are pretty good
3. Depends on how active the community is. Twice a year might be sufficent though
4. A Form would be great, especially since the populace is here anyway.
5. Tom could also give a special recognition in their user profile here that shows when and what they won and were awarded.
6. Not yet.

[thedqs]

Church employees included or excluded?

Dicey but as long as it is not affiliated with their job function at church then I think it is perfectly fine, unless we have the best employee/community relation award in which case those that are employees receive the award.

For-profit products included or excluded?

What do you mean, like the program generated by the community. I think in this case exclude the for-profit but I was under the impression that it would be awarded to a single person not an idea/product.

[russellhltn]

What do you mean, like the program generated by the community. I think in this case exclude the for-profit but I was under the impression that it would be awarded to a single person not an idea/product.

I'm thinking in terms of commercial products. There have been some in the past that were quite innovative, very useful and furthered the purposes of the church.

Perhaps it needs to have it's own category. They don't come along that often, so once a year would do for that.

Of course, the fact we recognize such a product would in turn becomes advertising for us when they post that award on their web page and newsletter.

[WelchTC]

While this award would not necessarily be limited to one individual, I'm thinking that we don't want to recognize commercial for profit companies at this time. But we could recognize a group that has made a great contribution to LDS technology.

Great feedback, keep it coming!

Tom

[McDanielCA]

The LDS Community Byte Award

That is very clever!