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The Center for Artificial Indifference

There Goes The Neighborhood…

Before the echoes of the sabre rattling have died down over Big Brother Microsoft jumping into the anti-virus business with their Windows Live OneCare, comes this little announcement that will probably go unnoticed by the populace as a whole:

MICROSOFT BLOG TOOL ENTERS BETA
Windows Live Writer has the feel of a word processing program

By Jeremy Kirk, IDG News Service
August 14, 2006

Both of these links are worthwhile reads, but all bloggers are urged to devour the InfoWorld article on Microsoft’s blog tool, dubbed Live Writer. Then go hide in a dark corner and think… and become afraid… very afraid. Close your eyes and envision a future in which all blogs are done through Microsoft’s BillyBlog service on their “pay-per-post” plan. All posts and all comments will become the property of Microsoft to do with as they please, including suing my ass for making these comments.

In fairness, I’ll reserve final judgement until I see the product. Many of us could use a good WYSIWYG editor for our blog bubblings, especially one that also spoke a bit of HTML, CSS, and such. My greatest fear is that this new editor from Billy G and the Redmond Banditos will be just good enough to make me want to use it…

6 Comments so far

  1. Stu Savory August 15th, 2006 11:14 pm

    It is amusing to hear a Frenchman pronounce the names of these MS products, viz:

    for Blogging : Wry Tare

    Antivirus : Wank Air ;-)

  2. Rain August 16th, 2006 11:34 am

    Your look into the future is disconcerting but given how many people seem blind to so much around them, could well end up as you describe. Frustrating thought… but that would be nice to see the blog as it will actually be. Is creative ease worth trading off freedom to attain…

  3. jr August 16th, 2006 12:39 pm

    It’s better than Wordpress’ horrible interface but then nothing can beat the Movable Type comandline type of enter it in a box with all the bits hanging out style. As for if they own my stuff now, Microsoft please send a check in the amount of $1000 for the last month of hosting your stuff on my site…

  4. bonnie August 16th, 2006 4:56 pm

    I told you copyright law was outdated, unenforceable and ignored.

  5. dustbury.com August 17th, 2006 7:26 am

    Redmond: home of tools…

    Microsoft is readying a “blog tool,” and Winston is sounding the alarm: [G]o hide in a dark corner and think … and become afraid … very afraid. Close your eyes……

  6. jackie August 20th, 2006 6:11 pm

    holy shit…