Title: Windows Live Spaces Social Networking Platform Word Count: 505 Summary: Windows live spaces is one of the more popular social networking platforms today. It was launched late 2004. What it does is integrate windows live messenger and hotmail so can you can easily update and get in touch with your contacts through the use of the readily available msn toolbar. Windows live spaces is actually an upgrade to msn spaces. However, with windows live spaces; you can do more with your site than before. You can communicate with contacts, share informat... Keywords: social network Article Body: Windows live spaces is one of the more popular social networking platforms today. It was launched late 2004. What it does is integrate windows live messenger and hotmail so can you can easily update and get in touch with your contacts through the use of the readily available msn toolbar. Windows live spaces is actually an upgrade to msn spaces. However, with windows live spaces; you can do more with your site than before. You can communicate with contacts, share information, download add-ons, browse other people’s profiles in the network and much more. Moreover, you can customize your space by choosing your favorite color and your favorite background picture and layout to give your site your own personal touch. Account Set-up To create a windows live spaces account, you will need to go through a set-up process where you will be asked certain questions about your account preferences. Your profile for example will be made public or private depending on your choice. Furthermore, you can make your profile details available to only some people within your network, thus enabling you to set access rights to your profile based on your relationship to your visitors. Restrictions The ads section of windows live spaces however cannot be removed or changed by regular users as opposed to the subscribers of premium windows live services. Furthermore, windows live spaces are best accessed by Microsoft’s browser which is internet explorer, making it unusable for some using Mozilla’s Firefox browse. Personal Touches You can further customize your profile by posting some pictures, music, videos or blogs that your friends and visitors will see upon checking your account. This feature enables you to show and share your latest vacation pictures, compositions and thoughts and opinions on everyday things. You can also move the modules around and rearrange them to give you the layout you want with your space. With the use of several windows live spaces power toys, you can customize your account to a greater degree by uploading windows media player videos and having more skins to choose from than before. Gadgets By inserting some gadgets or add-on modules such as weather, stock quotes and movies to your account, you can also set the information that you want to easily access and view right in your space. These gadgets or add on modules are developed mostly by third party software developers and can be easily downloaded online so you can be sure there are a lot of them to choose from. Communication With windows live spaces; you can also easily chat with your contacts by activating the windows live messenger link on your page. You can also browse the profiles of people in your extended network via the new friends explorer, or look for a certain person by typing in the name in the search bar. Not only this, you can also join interest groups such as painting, poetry or pets. Your friends or contacts will then be informed of changes or updates in your profile and vice versa.