Microsoft is keeping an on the net meeting on Might 4 on the topic of Windows Neighborhood. I;m wondering no matter if there may be an agenda merchandise about the business;s decision to discontinue its NNTP newsgroups.NNTP newsgroups have already been Microsoft;s main public assistance forums for its goods and technologies for over a decade. I heard recently from a couple of my resources about Microsoft;s intent to get consumers weaned from these public newsgroups and onto Microsoft forums, like Microsoft Answers,
Office Professional 2010, TechNet and MSDN rather.Microsoft has told some of its neighborhood members that the current newsgroup platform (NNTP) is running on an outdated version of Microsoft Exchange that's past its end-of-life assistance date,
Windows 7 Home Premium, producing spam, troll-management and synchronization complicated. Company officials also are taking part in up the new Web-based community forums; capacity to present centralized searchable content material and also to highlight the contributions of designated professionals.Word is Microsoft is preparing a phased approach,
Office Professional Plus 2010, first reducing newsgroups with less traffic,
Windows 7 64 Bit, according to my resources. Microsoft is supplying people with devoted NNTP viewers having a bridge consumer to help ease the move.Update: Microsoft confirmed the NNTP newsgroup news a number of hrs following I posted this entry. Here;s the statement from a spokesperson:“On June 1, Microsoft will be progressively closing newsgroups and helping active newsgroups users migrate their discussions to the refreshed Microsoft discussion boards that include Microsoft Answers,
Office 2010 Activation, TechNet and MSDN. This choice was made in an effort to supply the best neighborhood and support resources and experience to our customers with social features and functionalities that address their feedback and needs.”I;m also questioning no matter if Microsoft will use today;s online local community meeting to share alot more information about the organization;s TechSupport Marketplace — a complement to the Microsoft Solutions forum that Microsoft began testing late last year. TechSupport Marketplace is an via the internet tech-support forum that will be staffed by paid “independent specialists.”I see Microsoft;s move away from NNTP as yet additional evidence of the growing social-networking emphasis across the firm. Anyone going to miss the old community forums (besides trolls and spammers)?