Is it true that not all MrExcel MVP are Microsoft Excel MVP?
Why doesn't Microsoft recognize MrExcel MVP and award them as MS MVP?
It is true.
These are two different bodies, all together, different intentions to some extent... MrExcel.com/Forums recognizes members with the MrExcel MVP distinction for their outstanding efforts, here.
Microsoft has its own, separate, process which is noted here:
http://mvp.microsoft.com/en-us/overview.aspx
The two are not tied, to any extent, which makes sense on a lot of different levels.
E.g., what if a Microsoft Excel MVP stopped by for 3 brilliant, but brief, posts? Are they a MrExcel MVP? No. Do we appreciated their contribution, never-the-less? If brilliant, then yes.
Back to the processes... Microsoft states that their process is 'rigorous', and while I don't have the details, nor need to know what that entails, I believe it. And they're now taking on all technical communities, world-wide, while we're covering ours. Our community is pretty large, when you consider the online forum stats. The sandbox Microsoft is now considering is humungous, and growing.
What they may not know or be assured of is our process. It's changed over the years to some extent, but in general it's a peer review/nomination process. The MrExcel MVP group gets together every now and then and reviews our membership. Something that I absolutely insist on is that the MrExcel group has to vote on the matter, anonymously; all MrExcel MVP votes are weighted equally (it really is anonymous).
I have never overturned the group's decision as a whole, and have only hijacked the current process once, because it had to be done.
Helpful?