Wait … Microsoft Had Its Own Version of YouTube?

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Microsoft LogoIs there any industry where Microsoft isn’t competing with bitter rival GoogleGoogleGoogle? Think about it: Bingbingbing vs. Google Search, Google DocsGoogle DocsGoogle Docs vs. Microsoft Office (soon to be online), GmailGmailGmail vs. Hotmail, Windows Mobile vs. AndroidAndroidAndroid, and let’s not forget Windows vs. Google Chrome OS.

With all of these high profile battles, you really can’t blame us if we’re saying “meh” to the news that Microsoft is closing Soapbox. Wait, what’s Soapbox you ask? Why, that’s their version of YouTubeYouTubeYouTube, and part of the far more popular MSN Video website.

The YouTube clone opened up in early 2007, not long after Google bought YouTube for $1.65 billion. It just hasn’t gained much traction though – thus why you’ve probably never heard of it. And when you’ve had a product out for over two years and you fail to make any inroads on your much larger competitor, it’s a good time to quit.

But hey, I hear Microsoft’s embarking on a new venture: retail stores. Maybe they’ll have better luck there.


Tags: bing, microsoft, Soapbox, youtube
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UK Government Writes Twitter Guide...in 20 Pages

A tweet can have a maximum of 140 characters. A guide on how to use Twitter, well, that’s another matter. The UK government has one, and it took its author, Neil Williams, 20 pages and 36,215 characters to create it.

The guide, embedded below, is actually quite an interesting read. Besides giving a clear cut explanation of what TwitterTwitter is and how (and why) the UK government should go about using it, it enumerates a number of third party tools (for example, bit.lybit.ly is to be used for links because it offers traffic analysis), talks about risks of using Twitter (for example, publishing embargoed news too early), and discusses the value of retweeting. Unlike some other Twitter guides, like the one from Wall Street Journal, it’s not focused on forbidding things and telling employees what NOT to do, which is a good example of how these types of guides should be done.

While we’re at on the subject of very long Twitter guides, you might want to check Mashable’s Twitter Guide Book, a collection of resources which helps you understand what Twitter is and how to make the best of it.

Template Twitter Strategy for Government Departments

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Tags: Guide, twitter