Frequently Asked Questions about the GWC Member Rewards Program

Click on a question below to see the answer

Basics
What is the GWC Member Rewards Program?
How do I start?
Who can join the GWC Member Rewards Program?
How do I earn points?
How long will the GWC Member Rewards Program run?
 
Points
How do I check my Lifetime Points?
Do my points expire?
Is there a limit to the number of points I can earn?
What are bonus points? How do they work?
Can I get points for referring colleagues?
 
Contributions
How can I contribute?
Is there a limit to the number of things I can contribute?
What type of content can I post/submit/upload?
 
Prizes
How often are prizes awarded?
Why does the content privacy setting need to be set to public to win prizes?
What is WebSphere education?
What are achievement level badges?
Why aren't my badges showing up?
What is GWC merchandise?
What is the discount to Impact?
What is the IBM Champions program?
Can I win WebSphere education multiple times?
Who is eligible to win prizes?

Additional support
My question wasn’t answered in the FAQ, who should I contact?


Basics
What is the GWC Member Rewards Program?
The GWC Member Rewards Program is a system to give back to our loyal Global WebSphere Community Members. A GWC member earns loyalty points based on your activity on the Global WebSphere Community. For example, you earn points for making a blog post, uploading a presentation, posting in the forums, etc. For a full list of activities and their associated point values, please click here.

How do I start?
If you don’t have a Global WebSphere Community (GWC) account, click here. To start adding content, sign in to your GWC account, and click the My GWC link in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. This will take you to your personal page. From here, you can upload content, make a blog post, and participate in other activities to get you on your way to earning prizes. Access our Tips in Two video gallery for quick video demos of how to perform the activities that earn you points.

Who can join the GWC Member Rewards Program?
Anyone who has a Global WebSphere Community (GWC) account in good standing can join the GWC Member Rewards program. To sign up for a GWC account, click here. There is no further enrollment to the GWC Member Reward program other than having an account in good standing. Once you’ve logged in, start making your contributions, and your points will be automatically added up. Employees of IBM; UCG; and national, state, or local governments of any country are eligible to earn points and badges but are not eligible to win GWC Member Rewards prizes.

How do I earn points?
You earn points for the GWC Member Rewards Program through various activities on the site, such as uploading a WebSphere-related case study or video, posting in a forum, or making a blog post. For a complete list of activities and their associated point values, click here. All content must be WebSphere-related and conform to the copyright and fair use laws outlined in our WebSphereUserGroup.org Community Guidelines.

How long will the GWC Member Rewards Program run?
The GWC Member Rewards program will run as long as the members of the Global WebSphere Community continue to contribute to the community. GWC Management reserves the right to discontinue the program at any time.


Points
How do I check my Lifetime Points?
To check how many points you have earned for the GWC Member Rewards Program, log in to your Global WebSphere Community (GWC) account and click on the My GWC link in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. Under your profile picture on the right, you will see your Lifetime Points. Click on the number of Lifetime Points you have to see a pop-up window that details how you have accrued your points.



Do my points expire?
No. Lifetime Points are good as long as you maintain an account in good standing on the Global WebSphere Community.

Is there a limit to the number of points I can earn?
No. You continue to earn points regardless of how much content you contribute.

What are bonus points? How do they work?
The GWC will occasionally run bonus point promotions throughout the year. Keep an eye out for these promotions and you could win double or triple points for your activities.

Can I get points for referring colleagues?
Yes. You get 20 Lifetime Points for each colleague who joins the site on your referral. To refer a colleague, log in to your GWC account and click the Invite a Colleague link above the Content Spotlight on the home page.


Contributions
How can I contribute?
Click here for a full list of activities that qualify for Lifetime Points.

Is there a limit to the number of things I can contribute?
No. You can contribute as much content as you would like as long as it is WebSphere-related and conforms to the copyright and fair use laws outlined in our WebSphereUserGroup.org Community Guidelines.

What type of content can I post/submit/upload?
Click here for a list of content that qualifies for Lifetime Points in the GWC Member Rewards Program.  The content must be WebSphere-related and conform to the copyright and fair use laws outlined in our WebSphereUserGroup.org Community Guidelines.


Prizes
How often are prizes awarded?
Prizes such as IBM WebSphere Education, GWC Merchandise, discounts to Impact, and nomination to the IBM Champions program will be considered for quarterly award winners.  Prizes will be awarded based on the value of the contribution to the community. Badge achievements are awarded when members reach defined levels in their Lifetime Points.

Why does the content privacy setting need to be set to public to win prizes?
There are privacy settings on blogs, photos, and videos that allow you to make them private. In order to earn Lifetime Points for content uploaded for the GWC Member Rewards Program, the privacy setting must be public, as all content must be verified as being WebSphere-related and conforming to the copyright and fair use laws outlined in our WebSphereUserGroup.org Community Guidelines.

What is IBM WebSphere Education?
IBM WebSphere Education provides educational courses across the WebSphere product portfolio. Courses eligible for redemption in the GWC Member Rewards Program must be online courses only and will be provided at no charge to the selected winners. For more information on WebSphere Education, please click here.

What are achievement level badges?
GWC now awards individual profile badges based on your contributions to the community. The more you contribute to the GWC, the higher your achievement level badge will be. Rising Star, Comet, and Super Nova badges are awarded when you reach 500 points, 1500 points, and 5000 points, respectively. You will see badges on your My GWC page (the page for your account) and your profile page under your profile photo on the right.  You will also see an smaller image of the badge(s) you have earned under your profile photo when you post in the forums.

Why aren't my badges showing up?
If you notice that you have enough points for a badge, but don’t see them on your profile, just do one of the quick activities that earns you points on the site, and you should see the badges the next time you refresh your page.

What is GWC merchandise?
GWC merchandise is a collection promotional items with the Global WebSphere Community logo. Merchandise varies depending on stock levels at any given time.

What is the discount to Impact?
The GWC Member Rewards Program will offer discounted registration to IBM’s Impact conference. Recipients will be notified of this discount along with subsequent details of redeeming the discount. Employees of IBM; UCG; and national, state, or local governments of any country are eligible to earn points and badges but are not eligible to win GWC Member Rewards prizes.

What is the IBM Champions program?
From the IBM Champion home page, “The IBM Champion program recognizes innovative thought leaders in the technical community — and rewards these contributors by amplifying their voice and increasing their sphere of influence. An IBM Champion is an IT professional, business leader, developer, or educator who influences and mentors others to help them make best use of IBM solutions and services. IBM Champions are not employees of IBM.”

Can I win WebSphere education multiple times?
GWC members are eligible to win a WebSphere education course once per calendar year.

Who is eligible to win prizes?
All members of the Global WebSphere Community with an account in good standing -- with the exception of employees of IBM, the United States federal government, and UCG -- are eligible to win GWC Member Rewards Program Prizes. To sign up for a free GWC account, click here.
 

Additional support
My question wasn’t answered in the FAQ, who should I contact?
Please contact us at GWCUserInfo@websphereusergroup.org with any questions.