Microsoft Responds to the Evolution of Online Communities
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From: nntp on 4 May 2010 15:26 Date 5/4/2010 Starting in early summer 2010, Microsoft will begin progressively closing down the Microsoft public newsgroups to enrich conversations in the rapidly-growing forum platform. This decision is in response to worldwide market trends and evolving customer needs. Microsoft continues to invest in forums to reduce customer effort, consolidate community venues and make it easier for active contributors to retain their influence. Forums provide a healthy community environment with less spam and make answers easier to find by customers and search engines. Additionally, forums offer a better user and off-topic management platform that will improve customer satisfaction by facilitating discussions in a clean space. We understand that some newsgroups are still active, and important to the community. In the coming days and weeks, we will be rolling out tools and resources to minimize disruption to the community discussions. We are working diligently on providing additional resources and information in local languages later this week. In the meantime, please refer to the official Microsoft Newsgroup website http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/default.mspx concerning this issue. The Microsoft Newsgroup website will be made available in additional languages in the next few days.
From: Joe User on 4 May 2010 23:03 <nntp(a)microsoft.com> wrote: > Starting in early summer 2010, Microsoft will begin > progressively closing down the Microsoft public newsgroups > to enrich conversations in the rapidly-growing forum > platform. Translation: Microsoft will force people to use the web interface that they have maintained so poorly for years and that is the least reliable and least feature-rich interface for these "forums" that I am aware of. Confirmation of that fact comes from the official Microsoft Newsgroup website http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/default.mspx. In the Q&A there: "Q: Where can I access these forums from? http://www.microsoft.com/communities/forums/default.mspx" The only potentially good thing to come out of this.... "Q: What should newsgroup users prepare for that will be different? [....] Additionally, Microsoft newsgroups are not moderated, while the forums will be." But the operative word is "potentially". First, Microsoft has demonstrated complete ineptitude in managing "forums". Their tools do not work. MS does not respond to problem reports. In fact, they do not even provide an effective way to report problems with "forums". Second, moderating a group is either highly labor-intensive or useless (just a pass-thru). But if the moderation is real (and effective), that will mean that postings will incur delays. Moreover, I have never heard of moderation done on a scale this large. Consider the traffic in the m.p.excel newsgroups alone. Well, perhaps Microsoft will depend on MVPs to be moderators. Oh well.... ----- original message ----- <nntp(a)microsoft.com> wrote in message news:O31y6i$6KHA.2160(a)TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl... > Date 5/4/2010 > Starting in early summer 2010, Microsoft will begin progressively closing > down the Microsoft public newsgroups to enrich conversations in the > rapidly-growing forum platform. This decision is in response to worldwide > market trends and evolving customer needs. > > Microsoft continues to invest in forums to reduce customer effort, > consolidate community venues and make it easier for active contributors to > retain their influence. Forums provide a healthy community environment > with less spam and make answers easier to find by customers and search > engines. Additionally, forums offer a better user and off-topic > management platform that will improve customer satisfaction by > facilitating discussions in a clean space. > > We understand that some newsgroups are still active, and important to the > community. In the coming days and weeks, we will be rolling out tools and > resources to minimize disruption to the community discussions. > > We are working diligently on providing additional resources and > information in local languages later this week. In the meantime, please > refer to the official Microsoft Newsgroup website > http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/default.mspx concerning > this issue. The Microsoft Newsgroup website will be made available in > additional languages in the next few days. >
From: T. Valko on 5 May 2010 00:06 I didn't go to this link to read about the replacement forum: http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/default.mspx So I have no idea if that link mentions the location of the new forums. The new Excel forums are located at: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx I've started posting there. The UI is completely different but it's still a web based forum! -- Biff Microsoft Excel MVP "Joe User" <joeu2004> wrote in message news:eNCga%23$6KHA.5808(a)TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... > <nntp(a)microsoft.com> wrote: >> Starting in early summer 2010, Microsoft will begin >> progressively closing down the Microsoft public newsgroups >> to enrich conversations in the rapidly-growing forum >> platform. > > Translation: Microsoft will force people to use the web interface that > they have maintained so poorly for years and that is the least reliable > and least feature-rich interface for these "forums" that I am aware of. > > Confirmation of that fact comes from the official Microsoft Newsgroup > website http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/default.mspx. In > the Q&A there: > > "Q: Where can I access these forums from? > http://www.microsoft.com/communities/forums/default.mspx" > > The only potentially good thing to come out of this.... > > "Q: What should newsgroup users prepare for that will be different? > [....] > Additionally, Microsoft newsgroups are not moderated, while the forums > will be." > > But the operative word is "potentially". > > First, Microsoft has demonstrated complete ineptitude in managing > "forums". Their tools do not work. MS does not respond to problem > reports. In fact, they do not even provide an effective way to report > problems with "forums". > > Second, moderating a group is either highly labor-intensive or useless > (just a pass-thru). > > But if the moderation is real (and effective), that will mean that > postings will incur delays. > > Moreover, I have never heard of moderation done on a scale this large. > Consider the traffic in the m.p.excel newsgroups alone. Well, perhaps > Microsoft will depend on MVPs to be moderators. > > Oh well.... > > > ----- original message ----- > > <nntp(a)microsoft.com> wrote in message > news:O31y6i$6KHA.2160(a)TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl... >> Date 5/4/2010 >> Starting in early summer 2010, Microsoft will begin progressively closing >> down the Microsoft public newsgroups to enrich conversations in the >> rapidly-growing forum platform. This decision is in response to >> worldwide market trends and evolving customer needs. >> >> Microsoft continues to invest in forums to reduce customer effort, >> consolidate community venues and make it easier for active contributors >> to retain their influence. Forums provide a healthy community environment >> with less spam and make answers easier to find by customers and search >> engines. Additionally, forums offer a better user and off-topic >> management platform that will improve customer satisfaction by >> facilitating discussions in a clean space. >> >> We understand that some newsgroups are still active, and important to the >> community. In the coming days and weeks, we will be rolling out tools >> and resources to minimize disruption to the community discussions. >> >> We are working diligently on providing additional resources and >> information in local languages later this week. In the meantime, please >> refer to the official Microsoft Newsgroup website >> http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/default.mspx concerning >> this issue. The Microsoft Newsgroup website will be made available in >> additional languages in the next few days. >> >
From: Steve Dunn on 5 May 2010 08:23 Microsoft point the general forums url at: http://www.microsoft.com/communities/forums/default.mspx The new Excel forums are at various addresses, for example the worksheet.functions forum is now available at: http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx?dg=microsoft.public.excel.worksheet.functions&lang=en&cr=US Which seem very different to the forums at: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx So, confusion already then... Neither are very nice in terms of keeping an eye on progressing threads, filtering/sorting threads, etc., and if you want to store a message for offline reading - well, good luck attempting that. Personally, I think I'll stick to the newsgroup method until it's no longer running. "T. Valko" <biffinpitt(a)comcast.net> wrote in message news:%23WL3lhA7KHA.3184(a)TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl... >I didn't go to this link to read about the replacement forum: > > http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/default.mspx > > So I have no idea if that link mentions the location of the new forums. > > The new Excel forums are located at: > > http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx > > I've started posting there. The UI is completely different but it's still > a web based forum! > > -- > Biff > Microsoft Excel MVP > > > "Joe User" <joeu2004> wrote in message > news:eNCga%23$6KHA.5808(a)TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... >> <nntp(a)microsoft.com> wrote: >>> Starting in early summer 2010, Microsoft will begin >>> progressively closing down the Microsoft public newsgroups >>> to enrich conversations in the rapidly-growing forum >>> platform. >> >> Translation: Microsoft will force people to use the web interface that >> they have maintained so poorly for years and that is the least reliable >> and least feature-rich interface for these "forums" that I am aware of. >> >> Confirmation of that fact comes from the official Microsoft Newsgroup >> website http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/default.mspx. In >> the Q&A there: >> >> "Q: Where can I access these forums from? >> http://www.microsoft.com/communities/forums/default.mspx" >> >> The only potentially good thing to come out of this.... >> >> "Q: What should newsgroup users prepare for that will be different? >> [....] >> Additionally, Microsoft newsgroups are not moderated, while the forums >> will be." >> >> But the operative word is "potentially". >> >> First, Microsoft has demonstrated complete ineptitude in managing >> "forums". Their tools do not work. MS does not respond to problem >> reports. In fact, they do not even provide an effective way to report >> problems with "forums". >> >> Second, moderating a group is either highly labor-intensive or useless >> (just a pass-thru). >> >> But if the moderation is real (and effective), that will mean that >> postings will incur delays. >> >> Moreover, I have never heard of moderation done on a scale this large. >> Consider the traffic in the m.p.excel newsgroups alone. Well, perhaps >> Microsoft will depend on MVPs to be moderators. >> >> Oh well.... >> >> >> ----- original message ----- >> >> <nntp(a)microsoft.com> wrote in message >> news:O31y6i$6KHA.2160(a)TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl... >>> Date 5/4/2010 >>> Starting in early summer 2010, Microsoft will begin progressively >>> closing down the Microsoft public newsgroups to enrich conversations in >>> the rapidly-growing forum platform. This decision is in response to >>> worldwide market trends and evolving customer needs. >>> >>> Microsoft continues to invest in forums to reduce customer effort, >>> consolidate community venues and make it easier for active contributors >>> to retain their influence. Forums provide a healthy community >>> environment with less spam and make answers easier to find by customers >>> and search engines. Additionally, forums offer a better user and >>> off-topic management platform that will improve customer satisfaction by >>> facilitating discussions in a clean space. >>> >>> We understand that some newsgroups are still active, and important to >>> the community. In the coming days and weeks, we will be rolling out >>> tools and resources to minimize disruption to the community discussions. >>> >>> We are working diligently on providing additional resources and >>> information in local languages later this week. In the meantime, please >>> refer to the official Microsoft Newsgroup website >>> http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/default.mspx concerning >>> this issue. The Microsoft Newsgroup website will be made available in >>> additional languages in the next few days. >>> >> > >
From: Fred Smith on 5 May 2010 09:45
I'm with you, Steve. Newsgroups are so much easier than web-based forums. I'll stick with them until forced to change. This may be a blessing in disguise. I remember when Quicken switch to a web-based interface that was at least as bad as Excel's. It became so frustrating I gave up, and put my time to "better" use. Maybe the same thing will happen to Excel. Regards, Fred "Steve Dunn" <stunn(a)sky.com> wrote in message news:D639ED5C-1903-4F81-BBAF-A9C8F9AB8C7B(a)microsoft.com... > Microsoft point the general forums url at: > > http://www.microsoft.com/communities/forums/default.mspx > > The new Excel forums are at various addresses, for example the > worksheet.functions forum is now available at: > > http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx?dg=microsoft.public.excel.worksheet.functions&lang=en&cr=US > > Which seem very different to the forums at: > > http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx > > So, confusion already then... > > > Neither are very nice in terms of keeping an eye on progressing threads, > filtering/sorting threads, etc., and if you want to store a message for > offline reading - well, good luck attempting that. > > Personally, I think I'll stick to the newsgroup method until it's no > longer running. > > > > > "T. Valko" <biffinpitt(a)comcast.net> wrote in message > news:%23WL3lhA7KHA.3184(a)TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl... >>I didn't go to this link to read about the replacement forum: >> >> http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/default.mspx >> >> So I have no idea if that link mentions the location of the new forums. >> >> The new Excel forums are located at: >> >> http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx >> >> I've started posting there. The UI is completely different but it's still >> a web based forum! >> >> -- >> Biff >> Microsoft Excel MVP >> >> >> "Joe User" <joeu2004> wrote in message >> news:eNCga%23$6KHA.5808(a)TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... >>> <nntp(a)microsoft.com> wrote: >>>> Starting in early summer 2010, Microsoft will begin >>>> progressively closing down the Microsoft public newsgroups >>>> to enrich conversations in the rapidly-growing forum >>>> platform. >>> >>> Translation: Microsoft will force people to use the web interface that >>> they have maintained so poorly for years and that is the least reliable >>> and least feature-rich interface for these "forums" that I am aware of. >>> >>> Confirmation of that fact comes from the official Microsoft Newsgroup >>> website http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/default.mspx. >>> In the Q&A there: >>> >>> "Q: Where can I access these forums from? >>> http://www.microsoft.com/communities/forums/default.mspx" >>> >>> The only potentially good thing to come out of this.... >>> >>> "Q: What should newsgroup users prepare for that will be different? >>> [....] >>> Additionally, Microsoft newsgroups are not moderated, while the forums >>> will be." >>> >>> But the operative word is "potentially". >>> >>> First, Microsoft has demonstrated complete ineptitude in managing >>> "forums". Their tools do not work. MS does not respond to problem >>> reports. In fact, they do not even provide an effective way to report >>> problems with "forums". >>> >>> Second, moderating a group is either highly labor-intensive or useless >>> (just a pass-thru). >>> >>> But if the moderation is real (and effective), that will mean that >>> postings will incur delays. >>> >>> Moreover, I have never heard of moderation done on a scale this large. >>> Consider the traffic in the m.p.excel newsgroups alone. Well, perhaps >>> Microsoft will depend on MVPs to be moderators. >>> >>> Oh well.... >>> >>> >>> ----- original message ----- >>> >>> <nntp(a)microsoft.com> wrote in message >>> news:O31y6i$6KHA.2160(a)TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl... >>>> Date 5/4/2010 >>>> Starting in early summer 2010, Microsoft will begin progressively >>>> closing down the Microsoft public newsgroups to enrich conversations in >>>> the rapidly-growing forum platform. This decision is in response to >>>> worldwide market trends and evolving customer needs. >>>> >>>> Microsoft continues to invest in forums to reduce customer effort, >>>> consolidate community venues and make it easier for active contributors >>>> to retain their influence. Forums provide a healthy community >>>> environment with less spam and make answers easier to find by customers >>>> and search engines. Additionally, forums offer a better user and >>>> off-topic management platform that will improve customer satisfaction >>>> by facilitating discussions in a clean space. >>>> >>>> We understand that some newsgroups are still active, and important to >>>> the community. In the coming days and weeks, we will be rolling out >>>> tools and resources to minimize disruption to the community >>>> discussions. >>>> >>>> We are working diligently on providing additional resources and >>>> information in local languages later this week. In the meantime, >>>> please refer to the official Microsoft Newsgroup website >>>> http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/default.mspx concerning >>>> this issue. The Microsoft Newsgroup website will be made available in >>>> additional languages in the next few days. >>>> >>> >> >> > |