Microsoft Debuts MySpace-Like IT Site

snib writes "Microsoft has launched Aggreg8, a 'social networking and collaboration space for the IT community.' Apparently, the owner of the popular open-source RSS reader of the same name sold the domains to Microsoft for $5000 in August in order to host what was then called 'Microcosm.' Microsoft hopes their new service, which utilizes Windows Live ID (formerly .NET Passport) authentication, will become a 'MySpace-like forum for developers to share scripts, tools, or best practices, or even to just connect with others within the profession.'"

Comments

Seems a great place to post yer code!

[weteko]

MATERIALS PROVIDED TO MICROSOFT OR POSTED AT ANY MICROSOFT WEB SITE

Microsoft does not claim ownership of the materials you provide to Microsoft (including feedback and suggestions) or post, upload, input or submit to any Services or its associated services for review by the general public, or by the members of any public or private community, (each a "Submission" and collectively "Submissions"). However, by posting, uploading, inputting, providing or submitting ("Posting") your Submission you are granting Microsoft, its affiliated companies and necessary sublicensees permission to use your Submission in connection with the operation of their Internet businesses (including, without limitation, all Microsoft Services), including, without limitation, the license rights to: copy, distribute, transmit, publicly display, publicly perform, reproduce, edit, translate and reformat your Submission; to publish your name in connection with your Submission; and the right to sublicense such rights to any supplier of the Services. No compensation will be paid with respect to the use of your Submission, as provided herein.

Or; post code for your pet project on this site and we will use it and sell it as our own.

Re:Seems a great place to post yer code!

[OldManAndTheC]

No compensation will be paid with respect to the use of your Submission, as provided herein.

Hmmph. They should've called it "OurSpace".

Re:Seems a great place to post yer code!

[calciphus]

Or, as works with EVERY public forum. "Things you post in a public space are public knowledge and use. That's WHY you posted them in a public space, right?" It's not like they'll delve into your Inbox and claim that they can use the content of messages you post. But I'm sure, in order to make MS look like the bad guy, someone is going to claim that they will. Ever notice how much stuff in Apple's forums end up in their FAQ or in future products? Isn't that why people post it there to begin with, so that others (even large corporations) can use it? Am I missing something? If you wanted to sell the source code, why would you post it for free on a community page, regardless of who owns that page?

Re:Seems a great place to post yer code!

[gregorio]

By that logic, I would loose the rights to my photos when I upload them into Flickr, including giving them rights to use it commercially...

You don't "loose" rights to your code when you post it inside Microsoft's forums. You just give them permission to copy it (aka distribute your message to other users) and do other things (backup your message, allow message searching, yadda yadda yadda).

You people are all missing the point here. The license does not remove rightsfrom you, it only gives MS the right to publish it as a message on a public forum. Without these rights, they would not be able to even list your message after you pressed the submit button.

So it's pretty simple: if you send a message to their forum, you're giving them legal rights to distribute it (using the forum scripts), backup, sort, search, yadda yadda yadda.

Nothing to see here without an Live ID

[Anonymous Coward]

You cant even browse around without logging in. Sites which require logins for visiting should be boycotted and not promoted on Slashdot.

Open Arms??

[eclectro]

I have a bunch of zer0-day sploitz I would like to share with my friends. Also, I would like to be able to stream teh l8test industrial rock on my Aggreg8 page. Will this be possible?

Please stop renaming things!

[cgenman]

First it was your Hotmail ID. Then your Passport ID. Now it's your Windows Live ID.

Stop renaming stuff! It's hard enough keeping track of all of these marginally useful services already.

Re:MSFT just doesn't get it, do they?

[pboulang]

Case in point, from the FAQ:

How do I add a signature to my posts?

See How do I add Signature to my Post? in the User Profile and Settings section.

Thank god they didn't just link to it.. that would be waaaay too internetty

Navigation is painful

[calciphus]

I just logged in, and tried to find a PHP/MySQL group to join. There is no group "search" feature under the "search for a group" link. You can only browse in a very obfuscated fashion. Honestly, they'd better change the interface soon, or you won't be able to find things. Plus, requiring a Live ID means that search engines can't index...and suddenly your site is a thousand times less useful. But I bet that sweet MSN Search is going to index it! Like anyone uses that willingly.

Hi There!

[IchBinEinPenguin]

It looks like you're trying to post something.
Would you like me to ...

it doesn't even make sense

[Nasarius]

"Localhost for IT pros"? "Loopback for IT pros?" Huh? I would guess they were going for "Home for IT pros", but that's just not what 127.0.0.1 means.

Is it just me, ..

[greylion3]

..or does MS seem to be doing a lot of desperate things lately?

Buying hotels (the Four Seasons hotel group).
Developing an iPod-clone (Zune).
Launching what's essentially a copy of MySpace.
Removing the one-reinstall restriction from Vista.
The Vista voucher scheme (promising XP->Vista upgrades for PCs bought now).
The MS-Novell deal (which has a dozen different perspectives, but at least promoting Linux).

To me, it seems like MS is genuinely scared of becoming largely irrelevant in the not-so-distant future.