Suddenly, the users who had been screaming at the company were given a special badge, a direct line to product managers, and yes, the famous orange ribbon for their forum avatars.
Overall, I'm impressed with the Autodesk Expert Elite program and its commitment to recognizing and developing top experts in the industry. While there's always room for improvement, I believe the program provides significant value to its members and the wider Autodesk community.
An exclusive Expert Elite membership badge.
Members are selected for their adherence to the program's core values, which include: Advanced, hands-on knowledge of Autodesk tools.
Meanwhile, back at Autodesk headquarters in San Rafael, California, the silence was deafening. The company had cleaned up their "public image" by shutting down the forums, but they had severed their main artery of feedback.
| Program | Prestige | Direct Access to Devs | Compensation | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Very High (Industry) | Yes (Private channel) | None (Free software only) | | Autodesk Ambassador | Medium (Local events) | No | Swag/Event tickets | | SolidWorks Elite (Competitor) | Very High | Yes | Free software + travel stipends | | Autodesk Certified Instructor | Low-Medium | No | Paid teaching possible |
