[This entry is the fourth in my series covering Windows Live products and services]

Windows Live Spaces helps you to stay in touch with the people you care about

In this busy world, you need all of the time you can get.  Time quickly fills up just taking care of day-to-day needs, not to mention trying to find time for longer-term needs and goals.  With so much on the plate, it's difficult to put forth the effort to maintain meaningful relationships with people that you don't see often.  Unfortunately, this category of people often includes family members - parents, children, siblings, cousins, etc. - living around the country and the world.

Such things ought not to be!  Some relationships are worth maintaining even though you don't see each other often.  Windows Live can help you to stay in touch with the people you care about.  For me, the Windows Live Spaces web site is a key ingredient that helps me to stay in touch with extended family members throughout the country.

Windows Live Spaces is a free service by Microsoft that allows you to publish content on the Internet where the people you care about can see it.  You start by visiting http://spaces.live.com/.  After signing up, you'll see your "space", or a virtual canvas where you can place and arrange blocks of content.  You can add or remove these content blocks by clicking "Add modules" from the "Customize" menu near the upper-right.  Your space has a unique URL, or web address, that your friends can type into a web browser in order to see what content you've placed.

Two of the most useful modules are "Blog" and "Photos".

Blogs on Windows Live Spaces

Adding the Blog module to your space gives you a place to type blog entries.  A blog entry is any text that you want - usually a short story or your thoughts on some subject.  In fact, you're reading one of my blog entries right now!  Blogging online is an easy and fun way for you to record your thoughts and experiences in a way so that the people you care about can see it and stay in touch with you.  I've spoken a bit more about blogging in (where else?) a previous blog entry.

Photos on Windows Live Spaces

The "Photos" module gives you a place on your space to show photos.  Adding photos to your spaces is a snap with Windows Live Photo Gallery.  Photo Gallery is a desktop program that allows you to add photos to your space with a single click.  No firing up a web browser, no selecting photos one by one, just a click and Photo Gallery will put them on your space where your friends can see them.  I talk a bit more about Windows Live Photo Gallery in a previous blog entry.

Windows Live Alerts help people to stay in touch with your space

After you set up your space with a blog and photos, you should give the URL, or web address, of your space to the people you care about.  Now everyone has a single place to which they can go to keep up with you!  You just need to share stories and pictures once, and everyone can see them.

Over time, it can be difficult for people to remember to check your space for new content.  It is better for them to just receive a notification when you place new content on your space.  Windows Live offers such notifications through the Windows Live Alerts service.  With Windows Live Alerts, people can sign up to receive an automatic e-mail notification every time you post a new blog entry or photo to your space.  I've written a detailed blog entry on how to sign up for Windows Live Alerts for a particular space.  I have used the service personally, and it's been an astoundingly easy way for relatives to use their existing habit of e-mail to stay in touch with what are family is doing as we share it on our space.

Use Windows Live Spaces to stay in touch

In such busy times, Windows Live Spaces is a wonderful tool to help us all stay in touch.  You share about your life once, and then everyone that you care about can see it.  Sign up for Windows Live Spaces, publish blog entries and photos, and let your family and friends keep up with your updates through Windows Live Alerts.