Tell us who you are?
My name is Daron Yöndem. I’m a Microsoft Regional Director, currently a Silverlight MVP leading INETA Turkey. I’m the founder of Deveload Software, an ISV based in Istanbul. For the last five years we are focused on UX as a .NET house. We are building Silverlight and WPF apps including rich multitouch implementations. I have two books about ASP.NET AJAX and one about Internet Explorer 8 development.
Tell us about your MVP history, when were you first awarded?
I got awarded on 2008 as an ASP.NET MVP and had the chance to be one of the first five Silverlight MVPs in the world. It was a great luck to have the new competency declared at the same moment as my renewal period 
I’m an MVP who likes capturing screencast, writing articles on local User Groups and physical interaction which is (for a computer geek) seminars and conferences about technical beauties. I feel very lucky leading INETA Turkey and our 30+ User Groups. We have annual events with different concepts where we get 10+ INETA Speakers and lots of MVPs contributing to the community.
What do you do in order to keep up with latest tools and technologies?
I use them! In our company we are focused on using the latest technology. In other words we are focused on choosing the right customers who can somehow absorb the benefits and drawbacks of using the latest technology. In order to keep up with the latest tools first of all you need to keep yourself up to date by following online (blogs) and offline (conferences including PDC, MIX, TechEd) content. Then you should build your own experience stack which can only happen with the real world implementation of your memorized theoretical info.
Finally it’s important to be able to sell it Selling the implementation of the latest technology can be seen as a high risk activity and actually it is. However this is the most fun part which will grant a huge experience to you and your team.
What does being an MVP mean to you?
It means “hard work”! Getting the award is just a start point you get. After being an MVP you should fulfill the expectations of the eyes looking at you from the whole community. The title “MVP” is already very valuable for most of the community members and the industry. It is our job as MVPs to elevate both the title itself and the value inside. This is possible through hard working and sharing “more” technical knowledge in the mean of both quantity and quality.
What do you do when you are not building software’s?
Ahhh.. Ehhh… I consume! I mean.. If I’m not building software I should be using some other software at that moment as a consumer I’m not a no-lifer but building software is both my job and my free-time fun! Ok ok I confess! I played WOW (World Of Warcraft) for a long time. But! it was just to test how multiplayer gaming works from a consumers point of view R&D always…
If you could ask Steve Ballmer one question about Microsoft, what would it be?
What’s next? (I know he will understand me )
Had a chance to attend “MVP Global Summit”? When and how was your experience?
I will be attending this year (2010). MVPs are great people from all around the world. I had the chance to meet a lot of MVPs from different countries at PDC, TechEd North America, Europe, MIX and so on. They are just unpaid original evangelist! They know how it works, they know how to share and they believe on what they do with all hearth! This is the golden mix!
What makes you a great MVP?
I’m trying my best. Answering mails from the community, hosting sessions, organizing user groups and inter-user-group events, writing articles, books, capturing community interviews and screencast. But the most important thing is to be responsive! People are sending mails and looking for solutions to their problems desperately. I know they deserve a good answer in a timely manner. This is why I’m trying to manage my e-mails and pay careful attention to answer each one of them. I feel like “this makes me a good MVP”.
What you think about the MVP’s role in promoting technology in Middle East?
This is a tough question. The international aspect seems developing weakness because of the recent budget-cuts that we see nearly everywhere. It’s getting harder to cover the costs (TNE) and travel to different countries in order to share some content even if you are volunteer. As far as I see most of the MVPs are more active in their own country.
However, Thank God we have internet! and one of the fresh MVP benefits introduced in the last term is the Live Meeting accounts we have! This benefit provides a great way to access different countries all over the world. You can host webcasts on your own and share what you know! This will keep the rhythm up and running. MVP’s will be there to leverage the power of knowledge and new technology in MEA for always.
What is in your computer bag?
This question can lead to an unending list. Starting from my notebook, external hard drives, 3-5 USB memory sticks, presenter, Bluetooth mouse, back-up batteries (4xAAA and 4xAA), MVP badge, INETA notebook stickers (ready to distribute everywhere!), CAT5 cable! (2 meters), a camera and macro tripod… You want me go on?
Who are your favorite Middle East MVPs?
If you get a chance to suggest one conference in Middle East? What would it be and why?
TechEd MEA is already happening this year. So better I wish for something different like MIX or PDC! PDC can be a little bit hard to arrange but a ReMIX will do.
What is the best thing that has happened since you have become an MVP?
Having 2k+ RSS followers! Honestly numbers are just numbers but I’m proud that people find my blog worth to follow. For me this proves the continuity and the quality of the content I create and makes me happy after spending 3 to 5 hours of work on just one blog post. And finally if you are looking for a more concrete answer the best thing that has happened to me is the TLC/ATE work I did at TechEd Europe! It was an awesome experience both in the mean of fighting against challenging questions and getting in touch with great MVPs within my competency. I really can’t forget the moments I lived there. Let’s describe it in another way; I had 4 hours daily duty but I never leaved the TLC booth during the conference! You imagine…
Who are your top 5 technical experts in your professional circle (from your country)?
“Top” in the mean of “order of remembrance” sorry for all other lovely MVP mates. I love you guys
Which was the last book you read?
It was a book about Adobe Air (No advertisement here!) The book title was “knowing the enemy”. At least it’s what I imagine!
If there was one place you could travel to, right now, where would it be and why?
Naa I’m just happy here. But if I had the opportunity to travel anytime anywhere I want, I guess I would travel all over MEA and host sessions about UX in every User Group and University Give me that!
How can one be a part of MVP Club? Any suggestions for them?
First of all learn the job and be the geek! Second spend all your free time to share what you learned! This is the trick, learn, share! And do this 24h/7days.
Any Message you want to give to the readers of MicrosoftFeed?
Get in touch! If you are a User Group in MEA or a User Group speaker just get in touch with me! Let’s do something incredible all together. Let’s unite our knowledge and share! Ok seriously just get in touch please
And for all others, subscribe to my RSS 
I will get in touch with you.
Your contact information?
- MVP Profile Link – https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Daron.Yondem
- Blog / Website – http://daron.yondem.com
- Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/daronyondem
- Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/daronyondem
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