Yes and thanks to MSN I could get my space up and rolling in just 15 minutes! I ve been a ’’spacer’’ since march this year and except for a few niggles here and there, this is another good feature from MSN.
Spaces can be either ’’personal website’’ or simply ’’weblogs’’.
Blogs though are the important feature of it. And since one can always add Lists and photos and music preferences, MSN Spaces is one cool package. It integrates well with MSN Messenger (7.0 upwards I believe). Messenger alerts you with the updates on the blogs of your friends in your list. Also you can get RSSfeeds from the spaces.
Spaces is very easy to use, comes with a variety of options with respect to backgrounds, themes, colors (need special tweak). Photos uploading is a breeze and all you need to do is install an activeX control from Microsoft. Updating is easy too, with blogs being updated by either mobiles phones or email. This gives an option of updating your space in travel!!
Networking with fellow bloggers is very easy and commenting also. There are specials codes called tweaks available which lets you add music, video, colors etc too, making it a eye-catching, cool space. The text-editing part is fairly good too with choice of fonts, colors, sizes and links etc. Statistics too are provided in the user control panel which also lets you know the link from where your space url was accessed. Storage provided is pretty good too. Privacy options include the level of availability of one’s space to only friend’s on the MSN Messenger list (private space) or public space. Best results when viewed in Internet Explorer 6.0 versionand above.
I must add the negative or it can never be a complete review. One of the biggest problems with Spaces is that, it is buggy sometimes. The complaints range from missing entries, lost-n-found entries, missing comments, server errors and other strange errors like space being not accessible by anybody and sometimes by the owners themselves. Though most of them are sorted out pretty quickly, they can be a major put-off, especially when you have that special thing to blog about!! Preventive measures or practices include typing the entire matter in a text-editor beforehand and copy-pasting it. And, you NEED TO HAVE A PASSPORT account to have a space or to comment on it.
Overall, the package is complete. MSN once again, manages to launch another useful, simple and extremely versatile tool for online presence and interaction. The basic purpose of the space, to give a ’’space’’ to an individual (passport member) for their online presence, is fulfilled. Period.
P.S. I have not indicated the load times cos they can be from one extreme ot another based on each ’’space’’’s customization and content.