Microsoft Opens Beta Community Sites

In recent years, Microsoft has made major strides in building up its community outreach. The company has invited bloggers to special events and conferences, established a "Featured Communities" program, and even actively sought feedback from enthusiasts for Windows Vista.

Now, the company is taking that effort one step further by launching a series of beta Web sites designed for those who can't get enough of Microsoft. Initially, the Microsoft Community will be made up of Forums, Blogs, and a social bookmarking tool called Tagspace.

The new Microsoft Forums are designed for those who have questions on the company's software, as well as those looking to provide the answers. Forums can be subscribed to via RSS feeds, and Microsoft is working on building in customization features and content recommendations.

Microsoft Blogs is a revision of the company's existing blog infrastructure, currently used by a vast number of Redmond employees. At the moment, the blogs will remain open only to employees, and it's not clear if Microsoft will change that anytime soon as not to step on the toes of Windows Live Spaces.

Unlike its current blog software, the new Microsoft Blogs will integrate with both the Forums and Tagspace sites, enabling the community to better find information and interact with those directly involved in a product at Microsoft.

Microsoft calls Tagspace a "Favorites Folder" for the Web, and it is similar to services such as Yahoo's Delicious. It enables users to store URLs along with "tags" for descriptions, so that they can go back at a later date and read an article or site that interested them. Tagspace users can also share the bookmarks they upload with other users, and view those published by others.

"Our mission is to do nothing less than change the way technology professionals and enthusiasts relate to the information they have at their disposal and how they connect with the people who make up their professional community," explained Dave Morehouse, product manager for the Microsoft Community. "Fostering the ties that bind, we want to help you become better informed, better connected, and more productive, giving you the tools you need to create, share, and connect with your community."