Live Spaces: RIP
Having worked in Microsoft web technologies for the last decade, I felt rather shocked to discover for myself that Open Source platforms like WordPress truly brought value to the table. Even more shocking is Microsoft not only coming to the same conclusion, but taking action on it by choosing to close one of its products/services in preference to WordPress.
Microsoft and Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com, announced today that the Windows Live Spaces blogging service will be phased out in favor of WordPress.com. Users of the service will have the ability to transfer their blogs via a new migration utility beginning today.
In a post on Inside Windows Live, Dharmesh Mehta, director, Windows Live product management, said:
“Over the last few weeks, we’ve spent a good bit of time talking about our approach to partnering with the web, and as part of that, how we’re deeply integrating with the leading consumer services that you find most valuable….
As we looked at customers’ blogging needs and what different companies were providing, we were particularly interested in what WordPress().com is doing….
So rather than having Windows Live invest in a competing blogging service, we decided the best thing we could do for our customers was to give them a great blogging solution through WordPress.com.”
via Microsoft Replacing Windows Live Spaces with WordPress.com.Mashable.com
For the uninitiated, WordPress is the Google of blogging:
- http://wordpress.org : the home of the Open Source project
- http://wordpress.com : hosted blogging platform
In addition to WordPress’ established name in the blogging sector, I have seen mention that WordPress.com is also a Microsoft customer in the Azure space, which also makes sense – leveraging best of breed technologies in preference to mindlessly eating your own dogfood, as has been a Microsoft way of life, makes a lot more sense in a constantly evolving technology realm.
