Your article came off more as a diatribe then an attempt at persuasion. You failed to list even one example of what specifically MS is doing that you don't appreciate.

Windows Live, AFAIK, is not blocking content. They are adding services to their platform, which I don't think anyone should be upset about. Windows Live isn't meant to be AOL. You're not going to log into Windows Live and start surfing the net. If you're logging into Windows Live, you probably have a specific purpose in mind (playing a game, working on a spreadsheet, reading your e-mail). I'll go one step further and say that I actually appreciate not being bombarded with outside content when I'm using Live.

Hell google does the same thing. When I log into iGoogle it doesn't show me links for Yahoo or MS, it shows me a list of different Google services that I can use (calendar, docs, sites, picassa, etc.)

Quote: Original post by ChurchSkiz
Hell google does the same thing. When I log into iGoogle it doesn't show me links for Yahoo or MS, it shows me a list of different Google services that I can use (calendar, docs, sites, picassa, etc.)

However, their Blogspot service and Wordpress' are often interoperable. Same with Twitter, facebook, and Digg, and countless others.

Quote: Original post by ChurchSkiz
Your article came off more as a diatribe then an attempt at persuasion. You failed to list even one example of what specifically MS is doing that you don't appreciate.

Windows Live, AFAIK, is not blocking content. They are adding services to their platform, which I don't think anyone should be upset about. Windows Live isn't meant to be AOL. You're not going to log into Windows Live and start surfing the net. If you're logging into Windows Live, you probably have a specific purpose in mind (playing a game, working on a spreadsheet, reading your e-mail). I'll go one step further and say that I actually appreciate not being bombarded with outside content when I'm using Live.

Hell google does the same thing. When I log into iGoogle it doesn't show me links for Yahoo or MS, it shows me a list of different Google services that I can use (calendar, docs, sites, picassa, etc.)

That was my biggest issue with the article - one minute you are describing Windows Live and all the services microsoft plan to offer, then you make a massive leap to walled gardens and AOL. Where is the link? Windows Live provides gaming services and online applications, i dont think it provides content. It is no more of a walled garden than Salesforce providing their own apps and not linking to other apps, or download.com only allowing downloading of software they host and not linking to other download sites.

One point it does open up though that was completely overlooked was the issue of microsofts monopoly. They have been ordered to remove Media Player and IE from windows as it stifles competition - if Live is to be tied into windows, surely this presents the exact same issue, on a far larger scale?

As for community sites not allowing links, I do know of one particular forum that does this - it is a web design forum, and posting of links is almost completely banned, with a few exceptions, to prevent self promotion. I know of another forum which prevents linking to one of their rival sites, but that is only due to there being a past legal dispute between the two.

As for not allowing linking to external content costing you traffic, I would question that. How is not providing links to external sites going to cost YOU traffic? Granted some article writers and bloggers may take issue to the policy and actively avoid linking to the site in protest, but I would imagine this is a very rare occurance.