Well, I have spent the last week trying to get to grips with all of the changes made to the Windows Live Site (formally known as Live Spaces) and think that its time to voice my opinion and feedback regarding the changes made and why many are very unhappy about where the online Live services are heading.
Why should my opinion matter a jolt? Well because I believe that I speak for the ‘ordinary user’ rather than the much more savvy wise computer user who might for example work for Microsoft, or work in a computer capacity, programmers, etc, or what could be loosely described as ‘computer geeks’ (no offence!)
Why are so many so disillusioned with the changes and leaving to take up residence elsewhere? Well after getting feedback from some of my Spaces friends who are leaving or planning to leave, the consensus view is obvious. You all seem to have grossly misjudged how and why your online Live services were being utilised by the vast majority of ordinary users.
They all viewed Live Spaces and their space in particular as the hub of their particular usage, including making new contacts, using mail services, using the photo element, etc. Their actual Space was the catalyst for all of this. So first and foremost they view their blog or space as the most important element and everything else then revolves around that Space.
But the changes that you have made have taken away that emphasis from them. Their actual Space has now become almost an afterthought ‘tagged on’ to this ‘networking’ theme that now takes precedence over everything else. For them, it was never about making friends/contacts first and foremost, it was about writing a blog/having a personal Space, then hoping that like minded people would then read your blog or view your Space and either comment or leave a message and become a Spaces friend, then they would be able to partake of each others Spaces and a sort of online relationship would evolve.
Now on your ‘Network’ or Home page, Spaces doesn’t even get a mention! You have to click on the more tab to find it. If a friend, and I still will refer to them as friends, leaves a comment on your blog, you then have a mountain to climb to find their blog or reply to their comment. The whole emphasis has now been removed from most peoples reason for being on Live in the first place!
And why refer to everyone as your ‘Network’? A network to my mind is a collection of computers which are connected to each other in some way, or a method of connecting online, it certainly doesn’t conjure up a vision of a collection of people! What was wrong with Spaces friends, or even Live Contacts?
But surely the ultimate goal was to encourage more people to use your Live services? I for one have encouraged people that I know personally to use Live Spaces, especially if they wanted to begin blogging, but I don’t think that I would now continue to do so because it it now no longer ‘fit for purpose’. Okay, you might feel that blogging is old hat, and that is why you are all trying to move away from that particular emphasis in your online Live Services, but I beg to disagree with you. Having and writing a blog is the largest growing area on the Internet, as it allows an ordinary person who isn’t too computer literate to have in a very loose fashion their very own website. Their own area of the Internet where they can make it their own, use it for anything they wish, either for their own consumption, for their family and friends or for everyone.
Especially amongst us ‘silver surfers’ it has become a wonderful way to make new online friends, and that is why so many of your users are now so disillusioned.
Why bother taking any notice of someone like me? Because we are the ‘bread and butter’ of your existence , the forgotten ordinary users who actually use your services day in day out. That’s why.
TG 
