Microsoft Debuts MySpace for IT Pros

Microsoft on Friday launched what it bills as a social networking site for IT professionals, called Aggreg8. The company aims for the site to become a MySpace-like forum for developers to share scripts, tools, or best practices, or even to just connect with others within the profession.

"Aggreg8 is a site for IT Pros to mix-n-mingle," Kevin Remde, an IT Pro evangelist for Microsoft, wrote in a blog post announcing the service. "You can setup a profile, join groups, enter posts, add favorites, share content, mix, mingle, and learn."

The site will allow users to either collaborate with fellow developers through preset working groups, or allow them to create their own. Additionally, space would be provided in the groups to allow users to post messages and files, and share events, the company said.

Aggreg8 has no relation to the RSS reader project that carried the same name. Philip Roche, the creator of that program, was approached in July by Microsoft if he would sell the domain names. Both Aggreg8.com and Aggreg8.net were sold for $5,000, he said in a blog post.

Since then, the RSS reader was to move to Aggreg8.org and Aggreg8.co.uk, however, both sites still show a "coming soon" message.