Fabric/Power BI Community User Groups Program Guide & Requirements
Fabric/Power BI Community User Groups program guide Getting started User groups provide an opportunity for developers and those interested in learning new technologies to meet up with other professionals, students, and enthusiasts in their area. These groups provide an environment for networking, learning new skills, collaborating on projects, and sharing expertise. Fabric Community User Groups connect local or virtual data platform user groups with each other, with Microsoft experts, and with the broader Microsoft data technical community. Program benefits As part of the Fabric Community User Groups program, groups receive support, inspiration, a deeper connection to the Fabric Community, and the following benefits: A channel to communicate directly with Microsoft team members and hear updates from Microsoft Networking opportunities with other leaders of the network Easy access for members to find local groups Access to a Speaker bureau Easy access for members to find virtual groups If utilizing Meetup Meetup fees covered by Microsoft for qualified user groups Meetings automatically published on the Fabric Community (coming soon) Access to premium Meetup features like a speaker section on event page, professional registration form, optional featured sponsor feature, event templates, the ability to schedule hybrid events and being included on the Microsoft Fabric User Group Network page Program communications Group leaders and co-leaders will receive regular communications from Microsoft with news, program updates and highlights, information about upcoming events, learning opportunities, and helpful resources. Each quarter, group leaders and co-leaders are invited to participate in an online call with the Microsoft team. Invitations and agendas are sent prior to each call. Curated content Be one of the first people to hear about new content and initiatives from the Azure Data team. Access presentations, labs, videos, skill challenges, and other content designed for use in your user group meetings. Program requirements To participate in the Power BI/Fabric Community, your group must meet the following criteria: Have a group leader and co-leader who will represent your group to Microsoft. Maintain a published Code of Conduct that is easily accessible from the group's homepage. Do not charge members a fee to attend group meetings, except when venue or hosting costs (e.g. food and beverages) are passed on to members. Maintain a regular meeting cadence and have at least six (6) meetings per year that relate to or cover analytics & data products, features and services that fall under the Microsoft Azure Data umbrella, Do not use the group to enrich or advance yourself, your business, your employer or your co-workers, or for lead generation purposes, Agree to emphasize the importance of variety and balance in your speaker lineup, ensure a broad representation of ideas and experiences, avoid exclusive focus on a single company’s representatives and instead encourage the inclusion of speakers from different organizations. Comply with the Power BI/Fabric Community User Group program's Code of Conduct. Group leadership User groups participating in the Fabric Community are asked to identify both a group leader and a co-leader who will act as the primary and secondary contacts for the group. Leadership changes We understand operations and leadership of groups may change over time. If the group leader or co-leader is leaving the group, the Fabric Community User Groups program team should be notified via email by the group leader at [email protected] to ensure group information is updated. Code of conduct People are the foundation of a community. For a community to thrive, it must encourage diversity of thought and enable the safety of its members. Microsoft is deeply committed to diversity and inclusion. All Microsoft employees enjoy a safe work environment and a culture of mutual respect and responsibility. Our team members and community partners should enjoy the same environment. The Fabric Community User Group Leaders Code of Conduct can be found at https://aka.ms/FabricUGLeaderCodeofConduct Conduct issues seldom arise. But when they do, they are often very public and very passionate. It is best for the community to be prepared with: A clear and accessible Code of Conduct that states the norms under which projects or events operate Encouraged behaviors and community guidelines A list of common behaviors that are prohibited (e.g. harassment) An Issue Resolution Process for addressing cases where these norms are not being maintained A code of conduct should be displayed on your group landing page or website. If you don't currently have one, review the following examples: Azure Data Tech Groups Code of Conduct Microsoft Tech Community Code of Conduct Fee-free experience To lower the barrier to entry and ensure access is available to as many participants as possible, Fabric Community User Groups program members should not charge an admission fee for meetings. However, certain pass-through costs are allowed (i.e. venue, beverage, and other hosting fees). Meeting cadence Many groups cover a broad range of topics throughout the year. Your group should host a minimum of 6 meetups covering Microsoft Azure Data products & features each year. These include but are not limited to Microsoft Fabric, Power BI, Real-Time Intelligence, Data Factory, Data Science & Data Engineering in Fabric, Data Warehousing in Fabric, the Fabric Platform, Databases in Fabric. Joining the program Admission into the Fabric Community User Groups program requires a simple application process. Groups are evaluated by the program team and reviewed on a regular basis throughout the year. To apply for the program, simply click Start a New Group. Be prepared to answer a few follow up questions about your group, your intentions or you plan to meet all of the program requirements as outlined above. Leaving the program If your group no longer wants to be part of Fabric Community User Groups, we would like to hear from you. Group leaders should contact the Fabric Community User Groups program team at [email protected]
Benefits of Joining the Community
Welcome to the Fabric community! Are you a new community member? Are you considering registering for an account? No matter why you're here, below is some useful information on how to get started and why you should join us! Why you should join First off, thanks for taking a look around! As you'll soon discover, the Fabric community is a great place to be. After you sign up for a user account, you'll be able to get assistance from peers, network with experts, provide feedback, participate in community events, and more. New User Registration To register as a new user, click Register at the top right of the page. To complete registration, enter a unique user name, password, and valid AAD email address. You can also register with your Microsoft account, or Outlook.com, Hotmail.com, Live.com, Gmail.com, etc. For additional assistance on registering for a community account, check out How to Register for a Community Account support article. . Navigating the User Dashboard We have selected the Power BI forums for purposes of this step-by-step article. Click your Avatar in the top right corner to access the user dashboard. To customize your profile, select My Profile in the drop-down menu, or click Edit Profile under About Me. When you create your account, you can upload your own avatar and link to your social media profiles to make it even more personal. More info about updating your avatar can be found in the Community Profile, Time Zone, Picture (Avatar) & Date Display Preference support article. How to Ask Questions In the Fabric community, no question is a bad question! Don't be afraid to ask a question. If you're thinking it, someone else is, too. Let's get started! Tip: Start with a search! It's likely that your question has already been asked! Not sure how to use search? No problem, check out this support article: Using Search to Find Answers and Unanswered Topics. Click the Forums option in the header, then select your fourm of choice. Select one of the forum categories under Title that best fits your question. Here, we chose the category Desktop. Select one of the Forum categories under Title that best fits your question. Here, we chose the category Desktop. Click New Message. Fill out the Subject and Body section of your message post. Select related message labels on the far right. Click Post to publish your message to the Forums. How to Like or Comment on a Post Select the post you in which you want to engage. To comment, click Reply in the bottom right of the post box. Type your response in the reply body and click Post to pubish your comment. To like, or Kudo a post, click the light green thumbs up box in the bottom right corner. Explore the Community Blogs The Fabric community blogs are a great resource to learn more about the latest news and Fabric trends! Like the community, you can like, comment and even share any blog post. If you're interested in writing a blog or wish to contact someone, click Message Admins on the far right of the blog dashboard. To explore the blogs, click Blogs from the header and then select the blog of your choice. Give Feedback about the Community Have suggestions on how we can improve the Fabic community? We want to know! Post your thoughts to the Community Feedback forum board. We want your community experience to be the best yet! Community Support and Help Need help with your community account? Community account support can be found in Community Accounts & Registration. We want your community experience to be fun and easy. Let us know how we can can help!
