When will Windows Live Groups happen, I wonder? We've already all learnt to use Live Mail, Live Messenger and Live Spaces (right now I'm writing in Live Writer, which, judging from the lack of speed of which it loads, is really meant for Windows Vista) but as of yet I've heard very little of a revamp of MSN Groups.

The only real source there seems to be on the subject of Live Groups at the moment is Wikipedia; On a stub page entitled 'Windows Live Groups' which includes, as it's only reference, a link to an online article written by a lady named Mary Jo Foley. She writes (near the end of the piece):

"According to a Wikipedia entry (which Fluegel said his team did not create), Live Groups will allow Windows Live Spaces users to slice and dice their contacts into different sharing/collaboration groups." - Link

Interesting that her article references something, for which it is itself is a reference. Well, you can see clearly that this article has little validity even if it is the strongest reference I can find. However, there is some other evidence to suggest that an update to MSN Groups is in the pipeline. There are various discussions online about cached web pages that have been found through Windows Live Search showing the future Live Group home page (though I cannot find one site where a link to such a page works) and it is also true that MSN Groups are still around: why keep it if Microsoft are planning to scrap it - you'd think they'd just do it already. Of course, if they are planning on keeping Groups, they are bound to update it to their new Vista/Live theme.

Furthermore, it would seem logical for me that Microsoft are going to add Groups to Live Spaces, as they've done with SkyDrive and Events. Considering the fact that the appearance of MSN Spaces, when they first came out around early 2005 - I think, crippled groups (especially mine it seemed: Badger's Friends) Groups really can't survive on their own.

Comparatively recently, even, I have created a new MSN group in the hope of attracting some friends to join me in writing exercises and allow a place for practicing creative writing which enabled quick, honest feedback (sorry about the hype-spewing there) but that Group has managed to get nowhere because of several things, including the out of date look of the MSN platform on which it's running. I honestly feel that if Live Groups came about I could get my writing group Not Happening running.

As it stands now, there is little more I can do but wait: hopefully.

The Literate Badger

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Sources not link in the article:                               

http://jamiethomson.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!550F681DAD532637!2920.entry

http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=521825&SiteID=1