The fall of Windows Live Spaces from the point of view of an expatriate

I joined MSN Spaces, later Windows Live Spaces, in 2005. My Windows Live Space was my little slice of the web. I had it all set up the way I wanted.

For a couple of years it was very nice. I learned a lot about customizing my space and enjoyed helping others do the same. I spent so much time telling others how to do it that eventually I earned the honor of Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP).

Then the garbage started showing up. Many Spaces set as mail order stores for Viagra and drugs started showing up everywhere. Then, my beloved Windows Live Spaces was overrun by spam comments. It was an epidemic of garbage in Windows Live Spaces Town

I organized a one-woman crusade called “Windows Live Spaces Spam Central Reporting Service” I reported each user, and kept track of whether their accounts were closed.  It did not take long to realize that spam in our spaces was not a priority with the powers that be.

Eventually, we got the announcement that Spaces was closing and our spaces would be transferred to WordPress.com.

I am now happily a resident of a community that keeps the garbage out. When my Space was transferred over to WordPress.com, the automatic spam-catcher called Akismet caught thousands of spam comments.

Keeping  WordPress.com Town clean is a priority to the powers that be, while sadly it was not a priority for the powers that be to keep Windows Live Spaces Town Clean.

Bye bye Windows Live Spaces. It was nice while it lasted.

Edited to add: I came across a post from two years ago this month. I was ranting about how the link to Spaces was missing from the new Windows Live menu. Spaces was being treated like “The Professor and Mary Ann” on “Gilligan’s Island”. Check it out:

  … and the rest, here on Gilligan’s Island.

X

My new “Windows Live Space“:

http://xevolutionistspace.wordpress.com/