Starting next week I will no longer be involved as a developer for the Windows Live Spaces product.  I will start to work instead on the next iteration of Windows Live Groups.

This is a bittersweet time for me.  Working on Spaces was my first job out of college, so it will always be somewhat special for that reason alone.  I’ve enjoyed learning to use Spaces myself and seeing how it can help me stay in touch with family and friends. 

Recently I’ve also enjoyed interacting with active members of the Spaces community.  I’ve gotten to know many active Spaces users through our team blog, the Spacecraft.  I’ve placed real effort into making sure that our customers are taken care of and get any assistance that they need while using Spaces.  I’m sad to see those days end.  I will probably still read comments on the Spacecraft, but I will no longer take an active role in ensuring that customers received answers to help requests.  It’s sad for me because I really enjoyed the help that I’ve been able to give over these past months.

At the same time this change, like all changes, is exciting.  Windows Live Groups is a new product in the latest release of Windows Live, and I’m really excited about it.  I’ve always believed that the Internet can make our lives more productive and fun.  Windows Live Groups is no exception – it provides groups of friends and family that want an easy way to stay in touch and coordinate combined activities.

I don’t plan to leave this blog entirely – I will probably still post interesting things from time to time as I find ways to use Windows Live Groups to better stay in touch with the people I care about.