The Oracle ACE Program : My 9 Year Anniversary

 

ace-director

It was 9 years ago today I became an Oracle ACE. Yes, it was April 1st. 🙂

A couple of years ago I wrote an anniversary post called Should you aim to become an Oracle ACE? I think that post still reflects my feelings about the program. 🙂

So that’s 9 years done and I’m starting my 10th year. It’s crazy how quick times flies!

Cheers

Tim…

PS. After 9 years, I still can’t fill in an expense claim properly…

Author: Tim...

DBA, Developer, Author, Trainer.

5 thoughts on “The Oracle ACE Program : My 9 Year Anniversary”

  1. Noons, there is an error in your reply, this is not expensive. Oracle get 3 things from the program, ‘Doing the right thing’, i.e. recognising talent in their community, Microsoft have their MVP program, most big vendors do; they get valuable feedback direct into product dev from experts in the field; ACEs speaking for Oracle are influencers and even where Oracle fund the training it is much cheaper than employing internal advocates that are not as credible as independent people. So is it marketing, yes, is it expensive, no, and I guarantee if Oracle didn’t see the value they would can it.

  2. Noons: I agree with Debra in terms of ROI for Oracle.

    Personally, I do this stuff anyway, so the fact I get a little badge is nice. The cynic could say Oracle are getting marketing on the cheap. The other angle would be we do it anyway, so the fact they recognise the contribution is cool.

    I don’t expect every one to believe, but “my beliefs do not require them to”. If Morpheus said it, it must be true! 🙂

    Cheers

    Tim…

  3. Debra, as Tim and many others pointed out before:

    the Ace program is not about recognizing expertise.

    So, may I point out a fundamental error in your reply?
    Here: “recognizing talent in the community”.

    Oracle and the Ace mob have to stop taking everyone for stupid.

    Either it is a marketing program to recognize “evangelists” or it is for recognizing technical expertise.
    Continually claiming sometimes one, sometimes the other, is an insult to the intelligence of the community.

    And this is why in Australia the program gets the treatment it richly deserves: total apathy. Because no one in his right mind would believe for a second a group whose members select their own is representative of any expertise other than con-artistry.

    Please: do not confuse a room full of paid-for groupies yelling at each other how good they are while guzzling beer as “proof” that what I said above is wrong.
    You should know by now I’m not that stupid – although I don’t profess to be ultra-intelligent and knowing it all like the “clubs”.
    I’m just a normal guy that doesn’t like con-artists.

  4. Personally I like the ACE (and MS MVP) program in general but there’s a couple points I don’t like.
    1) Adding the “ACE Associate” level. I see it as significantly watering down the value of being an ACE (because how many will be leaving off the “Associate” part), especially when more start taking it up. MS only has an ACED equivalent.
    2) They don’t seem to downgrade/alumni people enough, only upgrade.

    Having said that I just nominated my first 4 people for awards 😮 (2*ACE, 2*ACED).

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