After learning about Microsoft’s “Myspace” for accountants at Convergence, and then seeing articles about it popping up in the last week all over the web, I decided to check it out for myself.
http://community.microsoftdynamicslive.com/
While it is a “community,” it’s more of a message board type environment. The networking function is coming soon and could be like Myspace, but the rest of the site really isn’t.
Microsoft may have miss-labeled it as a “Myspace for financial professionals,” when in reality only a portion of the site could potentially resemble Myspace. By labeling it as a “Myspace” they conjure up certain expectations that the current site does not fulfill. (A quick note of full disclosure, I am not a Myspace user, but my kids and many of the young professionals at my firm do use it, so I’m aware of how it’s used and its functionality.)
This seems to be an example of corporate America trying to piggy back on a trend that grew from a cult following to mainstream in a short time. Is Microsoft trying to hard to be trendy and trying to force something that really should be an evolvement? My advice is to take the concept to the next level by improving it and then don’t label it something it’s not.
I think the community for financial professionals can work and has its place if people actually decide to use it. Now that the actual site has been created and is live, maybe Microsoft should step back and let it take on a life of its own. Make the content user driven. Will Microsoft let this happen? Time will tell.
