Have Your Windows & Windows Live Blog Posts Showcased - Join The Clubhouse

Brandon LeBlanc — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 23:08:15 GMT

Are you using your blog to talk about using Windows and Windows Live? Do you want to get your post showcased on Microsoft websites? You should join The Clubhouse. The Clubhouse is a place that brings together people using their blogs to help others how to use the best parts of Windows and Windows Live.

How does The Clubhouse work?

You first need to apply to join The Clubhouse. There is a small review process in order to insure that there is a good fit for people applying and the rest of The Clubhouse.

Once you’re approved, you continue to write fantastic Windows and Windows Live content on your blog and use special tags that help identify what you’re writing about as it relates to either Windows or Windows Live. Your posts are brought into the Clubhouse via your RSS feed (having an RSS is a requirement to take part in The Clubhouse). Once you tag your post for The Clubhouse using the special tags, it gets pulled through your RSS feed into The Clubhouse.

In order to use the special tags needed to identify your contributions for The Clubhouse, you will need to add a new Tag Provider in Windows Live Writer. Right now, The Clubhouse has special tags for Windows Live and Windows Vista, with a set of special tags launching for Windows 7 later this month.

Once your post is published with the special tags – it appears within The Clubhouse where members of The Clubhouse rate one another’s contributions, so the top rated content can be showcased on Microsoft websites, newsletters, and even tweeted from @MSWindows and @windowslive. So it’s up to your peers to choose which content is good enough to get showcased.

So where is your content showcased?

After you get enough good votes inside The Clubhouse – depending on the type of post (Windows Vista or Windows Live) your stuff will show up on 1 of 2 Microsoft websites:

Explore Windows Live:

Discover Windows Vista:

Outside of the really cool opportunity to get your content from your blog showcased on Microsoft websites, The Clubhouse offers several other “perks”.

As you continue to write your own content – you will earn Club Points and Badges. When you earn a certain amount of Club Points, you get Badges. Each Badge you earn will appear next to any of your content showcased on Microsoft websites. You also can earn special-recognition Badges as well. These Badges are a great way for people reading your content to see how much you rock.

Because I am a Microsoft employee, for any of my content you will see this Badge:

If you blog quite a bit about using Windows and Windows Live – I suggest giving The Clubhouse a look and applying! It can be a great way to gain more exposure of your content!

Clubhouse Tags: Clubhouse, Story, Windows Live, Windows Vista

WindowsLive.com Launches with Community Content

Brandon LeBlanc — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 22:15:00 GMT

Today, the brand new WindowsLive.com website has launched sporting an all-new look and feel and lots of great content such as neat tips and tricks and show-and-tell stories on how people are using Windows Live in their lives. The goal for WindowsLive.com is simple: give people a place to discover the benefits of Windows Live. What better than to use content from excited Windows Live users to highlight those benefits?

The content on WindowsLive.com is driven from the community of passionate Windows Live users through the Windows Live Clubhouse. The Windows Live Clubhouse is a special Windows Live Space that brings other Windows Live users together in talking about Windows Live on their own Windows Live Space. Using Windows Live Writer and using special tags designed for the Windows Live Clubhouse, users can have content written on their Windows Live Space aggregated to WindowsLive.com and shared with the world!

Windows Live Clubhouse: Click here to request access and take part in providing awesome Windows Live Content for WindowsLive.com!

The community decides what content goes up on WindowsLive.com based on how pieces of content (posts) are rated. In someone writes about something regarding Windows Live that is inaccurate - the community can respond simply by not rating the post highly and it will never show up on WindowsLive.com. You drive the content!

For each person who is writing content on their Windows Live Space for WindowsLive.com - a special page is created on WindowsLive.com to highlight that person and their content. The page brings in information about the user from the user's Windows Live Space.

Using my own personal Windows Live Space, I've taken part in the Windows Live Clubhouse and have content I've written on my Windows Live Space about Windows Live aggregated to WindowsLive.com as you can see in the above screenshot. You can view my WindowsLive.com profile here. As I write more about Windows Live on my Windows Live Space - this page will update to bring in any new content I write.

At WindowsLive.com - people can explore all the Windows Live services and applications. The pages for each Windows Live product is designed to highlight what the product is about and also splices in a showcase piece from someone in the community who has talked about the product.

With WindowsLive.com and community driven content - Windows Live customers now have an opportunity to have a voice in helping talk about Windows Live.

Senior Product Marketing Manager Marty Collins (Hi Marty!) has blogged about today's launch on her Windows Live Space. LiveSide, who is also a member of the Windows Live Clubhouse, has also posted about today's WindowsLive.com launch as well.

Windows Experience Blog : Windows Live, Community

Have Your Windows & Windows Live Blog Posts Showcased - Join The Clubhouse

WindowsLive.com Launches with Community Content