Google announced in the Google Help Forums they have rebranded the Google Top Contributors program into what they are calling the Google Product Experts program. Google is updating the various badges and marketing around this program, but the people and what they do as volunteers for Google is not changing.
The new badges will be these:
Silver Product Expert: New members who are developing their product knowledge
Gold Product Expert: Trusted members who are knowledgeable and active contributors
Platinum Product Expert: Seasoned members who contribute beyond providing help through mentoring, creating content, and more
Product Expert Alumni: Past members who are no longer active, but were previously recognized for their helpfulness
Recommended Answers: Badge awarded to forum members whose posts have been marked as Recommended Answers
Google Employees: Guides and Community Managers who work at Google
Community Specialists: Google partners who lend their expertise to help maintain our communities
To learn more about the program and apply to be part of it go to the Google Product Experts program.
Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.
