I bet big on the Microsoft Masters certification. I put my job and reputation on the line to pursue a certification that was described as the pinnacle of Microsoft’s learning efforts. I convinced my employer that it was worthwhile to spend $20,000 to distinguish itself from other SharePoint consultancies. I signed agreements with my employer to foot the bill for retakes if I failed ($2,500), on a program that was so rigorous that normally less than half passed the first time around. I stuck my neck out FAR for the Masters program. So it certainly came as a shock (and a punch in the gut) when I got this email Saturday morning announcing the cancellation of the program:

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