Microsoft Will Try Out Blog Service In Japan 196
theodp writes "Signaling its growing awareness of blogging as both a potential threat and a new business opportunity, Microsoft is turning to Japan to launch its first blog service and aims to have 1 million users in the first year. Not surprisingly, Microsoft's offering targets mobile bloggers, since nearly 90 percent of Japan's cell phones have Internet capability."
Want to know what Microsoft is going to do next? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Want to know what Microsoft is going to do next (Score:3, Funny)
Or what Apple did yesterday.
Re:Want to know what Microsoft is going to do next (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Want to know what Microsoft is going to do next (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Want to know what Microsoft is going to do next (Score:1)
Re:Want to know what Microsoft is going to do next (Score:2)
Re:Want to know what Microsoft is going to do next (Score:2)
Kinda a flooded market (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Kinda a flooded market (Score:1)
Re:Kinda a flooded market (Score:2)
The Japanese internet is pretty isolated in general. It sounds like a smart move by MS as they probably have the resources to target the market carefully.
What "potential threat?" (Score:2)
Barring the fact it's just another random Slashdot statement with no backing evidence, I guess Longhorn Blogs [longhornblogs.com], Channel 9 [msdn.com], and the massive MSDN blogs [msdn.com] from actual Microsoft employees are threatening their own company.
In the past few years, Microsoft has become incredibly open as a company. I think Slashdot has greatly underreported that fact, and as a result, people here have a wrong impression about
Re:Kinda a flooded market (Score:2)
(And, if I remember correctly I initially launched blogthing just before Google bought Blogger [blogger.com]. I sure can time things well, huh?)
Re:Kinda a flooded market (Score:2)
Living in Japan, I don't know of a single blog service, except for the random ones offered by ISPs to their customers directly, so, yes, I think they're going to have luck with a program like this in a market as untapped as the Japanese blog market.
Re:Kinda a flooded market (Score:1, Interesting)
Microsoft's penetrance into the embedded devices market is puny and it is doubtful that shackling other unwanted products to it will help.
Re:Kinda a flooded market (Score:2)
1) bunding a preferred blogging solution with Windows
2) opening up its war chest with funds from Windows and Office to combat the small entrepreneurs
3) "embrance and extend"
Shouldn't that be... (Score:5, Funny)
I wasn't replying to your post (Score:2, Insightful)
Yeah, but... (Score:2)
However, in this case it is not a typical "lame, boring stereotype" but rather a linguistic truth. The Japanese cannot properly pronounce the English "R" or "L" without lots of training because that sound does not exist in their language.
In English, we use our tongue against the top of our mouths to make the letter L, but we do not use our tongue to make the letter R. Most Japanese can handle L pretty easi
Blog is an annoying word? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Blog is an annoying word? (Score:5, Funny)
That's completely crazy. A blog is typically just a bunch of links to other sites of interest, with a poorly edited introduction that's usually tainted by unfounded personal opinion. Then there's a spot where people can post their own stupid opinions about that particular blog entry. On Slashdot, on the other hand, you can give them money and you don't have to see ads.
Re:Blog is an annoying word? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Blog is an annoying word? (Score:2)
Re:Blog is an annoying word? (Score:2, Informative)
Really the only difference is that 'blogs' usually stick to only 1 topic or are someone's personal log or views. But they have comments, links, trolls just like everthing else before them.
Re:Blog is an annoying word? (Score:2)
Yeah, yeah. (Score:3, Insightful)
(I get the feeling that the most popular screen colour for these Japanese blogs will be blue, for some reason.)
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Yeah, yeah. (Score:1)
Re:Yeah, yeah. (Score:2, Funny)
"You call that [msn.com] a search engine? THIS [google.com] is a search engine!
Re:Yeah, yeah. (Score:5, Funny)
A fatal exception 0xFE7 has occurred in blog. The current blog will be terminated.
Re:Yeah, yeah. (Score:1)
Actually, isn't that every young geek's dream...
&:-P
Don't you mean green? (Score:2)
For those who don't get it, sometimes there is confusion between green and blue when speaking Japanese because many times they use the word aoi for both. For example:
ao-zora: blue sky
shingo ga aoi: greenlight (traffic signal)
Microsoft is NEVER happy... (Score:2)
And a quote on the same topic:
"Why you always wanna make it a fight?!"
New trend (Score:5, Interesting)
It will be interesting to see how this affects the way we do business.
Re:New trend (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:New trend (Score:3, Insightful)
At any rate, this is hardly a "new trend", as you put it. Launching products in test markets in order to determine their profitability has been around as long as capitalism has.
Fastest meme progression to world domination ever? (Score:4, Funny)
So on to the important question: will the Slashdot duplicate read "Microsoft will try out blog service in Japan... in Japan"?
Re:Fastest meme progression to world domination ev (Score:1)
more like "they are 1 million people blogging... in Japan"
or
1 million people find blogs usefull
and last
MS finds business opportunity
Re:Fastest meme progression to world domination ev (Score:2)
2. ???
3. Profit!
But heay, look on the bright side. At least Blogs aren't launching Microsoft service in former Soviet Russia.
-
Stop copying Google ! (Score:1, Flamebait)
Blog Service? (Score:4, Insightful)
1) How is a Blog Service any different from Slashdot journals?
2) Why would people pay money to Microsoft to post comments and short, misspelled paragraphs about their lives?
Re:Blog Service? (Score:1)
I wonder how long it will be befor they implement subscriptions?
Re:Blog Service? (Score:1)
Re:Blog Service? (Score:1)
2)Why do people use Internet Explorer? Why to people buy Opera? People will buy things because they think "It costs money? It must be better" or "It's a Microsoft product? It's obviously the best".
Re:Blog Service? (Score:2, Insightful)
Why would people pay money to Microsoft to post comments and short, misspelled paragraphs about their lives?
The basic service is free (according to TFA). It's not about getting ¥ from the users, it's about controlling another standard and another portal in order to use it to try to corner another market.
Then they can use the information they've farmed for whatever nefarious ends they wish. Of course it's nefarious. It's always nefarious. Not just because it's M$ but because it's business.
Re:Blog Service? (Score:2)
Mmm.... mobile blogs!!! (Score:4, Funny)
hm soon
btw im nt wrkin wknd."
Re:Mmm.... mobile blogs!!! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Mmm.... mobile blogs!!! (Score:2)
Wndws NT crshd.
I m th Blu Scrn o Dth
No 1 hrs yr scrms.
Re:Mmm.... mobile blogs!!! (Score:2)
n jpn
(3 comments)
Re:Mmm.... mobile blogs!!! (Score:4, Interesting)
So while we might get that crap in the states, I think it'll work ok in Japan.
You are correct sir! (Score:2)
I often find it annoying to type in English on my phone, which is probably why I don't really like mailing my non-Japanese friends from my phone. The difference is amazing. For example typing the following on my phone (the Japanese would be Japanese characters, but /. doesn't seem to like them):
Where are you now? : 18 characters (counting spaces), 41 button presses
ima doko?
Not Again (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Not Again (Score:2)
They should find every registered user of Me and send them a free new machine running XP, along with a handwritten apology signed by Gates personally.
The old country (Score:1, Funny)
My Arteries Are Blogged!! (Score:2)
With the rampant IP filings (software patents), any real information about a companies offerings could be reworded and patented, thereby forcing a legal battle, which small companies would lose financially (i.e. - 25% of budget to legal fees vs. product research/marketing).
dontcha mean... (Score:1, Redundant)
Microsoft Will Try Out Blog Service
You cant do this today?? (Score:1)
HUH??
Orkut (Score:4, Interesting)
If MS does this right I'll use it. It must be fast, foster a good community vibe and be user friendly. Oh yeah and all this "Must be invited to use our dog slow and shitty service" won't be tolerated either. MS is smart though, I doubt they'll be so dumb as to make it invite only.
Re:Orkut (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Orkut (Score:2)
why the troll name calling? (Score:2)
Satoshi doesn't seem to be making blanket assumptions, but provisional ones that could be based on information available on the Orkut website. (You'll have to ask him where he got his information.)
Cool your jets, big boy. Nobody has been pissing in your c
Re:why the troll name calling? (Score:2)
Re:why the troll name calling? (Score:2)
I'm going to ASSume that you don't normally act like this, and some other personal issue of yours is intruding itself into the discussion. This is what we call an unsafe assumption, since it has no facts to back it up (indeed, the facts point otherwise). Satoshi
Re:why the troll name calling? (Score:2)
Anyway, I think you'll find that once you drop the "angry young man" shtick, a lot of the personal issues you're having will just fade. Good luck to you! You've got the intelligence to be much more interesting, and as you mature, you will be.
And you're probably right about Rachel (See item entitled "bummer" [iamblue.net]). It's a pity, but you're smart to be steering clear, at le
Re:why the troll name calling? (Score:2)
You say that it doesn't mention a blog and that quote some marketing speak that sounds exactly like a description of a blog. Odd. (See, it say here that it's not a car, it's an "advanced automotive vehicle designed for transportation". No mention of cars at all.)
Re:why the troll name calling? (Score:2)
So, really, I think that your reading specificity into a gene
Re:Orkut (Score:3, Interesting)
You're right. It takes forever to login, only to find all 20000 communities one is joined to has no message board activity.
There's no blogging function either. While it may not be used much on myspace or friendster, it's a little nice to have, not unlike the blogging features on slashdot.
Oh, and Orkut is still a sausage fest. kthx
Re:Orkut (Score:2)
Anyway, it does have some blogging features, you just can't use them since it's so damn slow. It's more of a community blog though. I had high hopes for it but as it is it's just a piss poor system run by a pack of nazis censoring everything left and right. Send a message with the word "fuck" in it and find yourself put on an automatic "review" list where you can't message anyone or post anywhere until the mods have cleared you. It's pathetic.
Think geek... (Score:2)
Aah, the 80's... (Score:3, Funny)
Aah when you blog in Japan-tonight...
Blog in Japan-be-tight...
Blog in Japan...ooh the eastern sea's so blue
Blog in Japan-alright
Pay! - Then I'll sleep by your side
Things are newsy when you blog in Japan
Oh when you blog in Japan...
Japanese bloggers vs. American bloggers (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Japanese bloggers vs. American bloggers (Score:2)
I'd be surprised if it doesn't exist already.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Shouldn't the title be... (Score:1, Redundant)
In related news (in Japan). . . (Score:2)
What next, you ask? Is Spike Lee the only movie director to get involved in this development? The answer is no, friends. Spike Jonz will be introducing a service in Japan called "Blogging John Malkovich".
PageRanking... (Score:2, Funny)
Using others blogging sites (Score:2)
I admit I pay others to host my site, I would like some day to bring the hosting off of another persons computers and get the bandwidth and server 100% under my control, but for now this is an acceptiable solution.
Re:Using others blogging sites (Score:3, Insightful)
Oh yeah, I'll just tell my grandma and my 14 year old niece to code their own and host it on a linux box running slackware. That'll be a sure fire way of getting the idea adopted by the main stream. Jesus, do people like you ever stop to consider that 99.9% of the people on the net don't give a rats ass about the fucking source code and whether they have access to it?
Re:Using others blogging sites (Score:2)
Re:Using others blogging sites (Score:2)
I mean, why would anyone use internet email when they could just do that?
Is that a gmail account you have? Wait....
Re:Using others blogging sites (Score:2)
Hay if you want if you have a spammed account just forward the spam
Sell Those Xboxes Too! (Score:2)
Not their first (Score:5, Informative)
blogs.msdn.com (Score:2)
Free speech (Score:2, Insightful)
I'm not sure if it apochraphal (?spelling) but didn't Microsoft write a clause into the Frontpage license that forbade licensees from using it to publish any material that was anti-Microsoft ?
I suppose the flipside of this is that if Microsoft implement filtering and censorship, then they may be able to create a 'clean' blogging area and appeal to a more family audience, much as AOL
Potential Threat? (Score:2)
Re:MS-Blog (Score:2)
Re:MS-Blog (Score:2)
Re:Japanese Characters (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Japanese Characters (Score:2)
Wow, lets type in a foreign language.
Re:Japanese Characters (Score:5, Informative)
so if you have the chart like
a ka sa ta
i ki shi chi
u ku su tsu
e ke se te
o ko so to
then '2' would be a, press again for i, again for u.. depending on the manufacturer and model, you'd go through hiragana first, then hit katakana. Or, you'd switch modes to get to katakana/hiragana/alpha/numeric inputs.
For the kanji, there's either a special button and it'll interpret, or some phones have a little window at the bottom that has a list of commonly used words that start with what you've typed in so far. This was a really nifty feature on mine that I loved.. saved me a lot of typing for when I was emailing my japanese friends.
And yes, I said email: that's how text messaging works over there. There's in-network (c-mail, skymail, whatever..), but to get between J-Phone, DoCoMo, au, etc.. you use regullar smtp email, built in to the damned phone. Annoying when my parents didn't realize that I was reading their 10 page long emails on a cell screen, but oh well.
Re:Japanese Characters (Score:1)
Re:Japanese Characters (Score:2)
Attachments and everything, so I could send my phone an email with a vcard or a purevoice file and have it save them (to its data folder, address book, wherever) for later use. I never tried emailing myself a program, but i suspect that would have worked as well.
Re:Japanese Characters (Score:2, Informative)
This is almost right. The "a" is on the 1 key, not 2. The letters are arranged according to the Japanese alphabet
1 = a, i, u, e, o
2 = ka, ki, ku, ke, ko
3 = sa, shi, su, se, so
The star button is used to switch input modes, but most of the time it is unnecessary. ALL cell phones now come with a predict function which predicts what you are writing. To use an
Re:Japanese Characters (Score:2)
Damn I want to go back
Re:Japanese Characters (Score:2)
I then went off on a rather drastic tangent describing an imaginary alternate input system I just made up, but thought would be cool.
Re: (Score:1)
Re:Can someone help me understand blogging? (Score:2)
By the time a word does get into a dictionary, people will already be using it to mean many other different things.
Re:Can someone help me understand blogging? (Score:4, Interesting)
you just read the wrong blogs, some development diaries & etc can have real gems in them. of course a blog about "nothing" is going to be quite boring.
Re:Can someone help me understand blogging? (Score:4)
Can you link any of these? I must admit I'm with the "Why blog" crowd but I think it would be interesting to see a blog with decent content that would be worth the readers time.