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Interview with a Wiki Ninja: Kim Ditto-Ehlert

I recently connected over Microsoft® Lync™ to catch-up with TechNet Wiki Ninja Kim Ditto-Ehlert and interview her for the TechNet Wiki Ninja blog. The questions, answers, and commentary that follow are not a verbatim record of the conversation, but rather the gist of it.

What is your favorite TechNet Wiki article?

The PowerShell Survival Guide (now known as Automating IT Tasks with Windows PowerShell Overview). This shows a real collaboration of many different people to come up with a guide that is really helpful.

Another article that was really impressive was the TechNet Wiki article about Worm:Win32/Visal.B that CSS essentially used the TechNet Wiki to get out the early information. This was a real win because the TechNet Wiki was determined as the fastest means to write about and triage the issue. CSS could direct their customers to the article for more assistance.

What is a favorite article that you authored?

That is a tough one, but one of the notable ones is Troubleshooting Forefront Endpoint Protection, which the feature team helped to improve. Working on this article was a gratifying experience.

What do you want the public to know about the TechNet Wiki?

You don’t have to post a complete article in order to contribute. You can contribute an edit or an idea. For example, people have put out what are called “stub articles” and other people have picked up on those ideas and created full articles. (Ed Price recently blogged about an article that he stubbed that was updated around the world in four days: The MSDN article on TNWiki: Around the world in 4 DAYS!!!)

I have heard you say that you really like being an MCT, what is it that is special to you?

I enjoy the MCT community because it is a group of people who have a shared passion for sharing with others the good and sometimes not-so-good things about a technology. I think that it is a great thing to deliver and redeliver information to people, essentially that is what I am involved in now working for Microsoft.

What are you doing now for Microsoft?

I am coordinating the release of PowerShell Help for all of the Windows® Server operating system role services and features.

What are you doing lately for the TechNet Wiki?

I lead the TechNet Wiki Community council of 4 Microsoft and 4 non-Microsoft TechNet Wiki members. Among other things, we help decide issues on what is appropriate and potentially inappropriate use of the TechNet Wiki. We determine whether we should adapt the guidelines to allow for new TechNet Wiki uses or if we should find a different place for content that may not seem appropriate for the TechNet Wiki.

What future events are you planning to attend?

I will be at the MVP 2012 Summit part of the time this year. I also hope to be at TechEd 2012.

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