Re: Update - Microsoft Responds to the Evolution of Community

[Kenneth A. Larsen]

<nn...@microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:#syFB$A8KH...@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>
> What is Happening?
> This message is to inform you that Microsoft will soon begin discontinuing
> newsgroups and transitioning users to Microsoft forums.
>
> Why?
> As you may know, newsgroups have existed for many years now; however, the
> traffic in the Microsoft newsgroups has been steadily decreasing for the
> past several years while customers and participants are increasingly
> finding
> solutions in the forums on Microsoft properties and third party sites.
> This
> move will unify the customer experience, centralize content, make it
> easier
> for active contributors to retain their influence, mitigate redundancies
> and
> make the content easier to find by customers and search engines through
> improved indexing. Additionally, forums offer a better user and spam
> management platform that will improve customer satisfaction by encouraging
> a
> healthy discussion in a clean community space. To this end, Microsoft
> will
> begin to progressively shift available resources to the forums technology
> and discontinue support for newsgroups.
>
> In addition to offering a compelling online browser experience, for those
> users who prefer to use an NNTP (newsgroup) reader to participate in the
> newsgroups community, we have developed a solution called the NNTP Bridge
> which allows a user to connect a variety of supported NNTP readers to the
> forums they would like to participate in and continue having the NTTP
> reader
> functionality. You can find instructions on how to download and set up
> the
> NNTP Bridge here: http://connect.microsoft.com/MicrosoftForums/
>
> Which Newsgroups Are Affected by this Shutdown?
> All public newsgroups will eventually be closed between June 1, 2010 and
> October 1, 2010. Microsoft will be closing newsgroups in a phased
> approach,
> starting with the least active newsgroups and moving eventually to more
> active ones throughout the course of the next six months.
>
>
> Where Should I go with the Closure of this Newsgroup?
> In an effort to enhance and improve your experience, this newsgroup is
> scheduled for closure in the upcoming months and we would like to invite
> you to participate in this forum or forum category:
> http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/category/dataplatformdev .
> An exact date will be posted in advance as plans are finalized.
>
> Should you want to visit the Microsoft Forums, please go to
> http://www.microsoft.com/communities/forums/default.mspx
>
> Who Should I Contact with any Questions?
> Send any questions about the process, recommended forums and timing to
> NN...@microsoft.com
>
Will do.