After reading
about the Windows
Live Alerts
service over at Mads Kristensen site, I thought it
sounded interesting enough to warrant a look and thought about experimenting
with it out on my own weblog. Turns out the signup process isn't quite the
experience I expected:

  • The signup page asks a lot of information, much of which seems unwarranted
    for this kind of service (why all the need for all the personal
    information?)
  • Even though the page asks a lot of personal information, it isn't a secure
    page (i.e. no SSL). Certainly not what I'd expected from the now security-minded
    Microsoft.
  • The page kept insisting that the Contact Phone Number was invalid, but gives
    no clue as to what the proper format is supposed to be.

Even though I noticed all of this, I still went ahead and submitted the form.
It claimed I'd see an email to complete the subscription process, though I have
yet to see it. It might have been swallowed by the spam filters, though I doubt
it. And why the heck is a windows live services' page a JSP page? :P


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Tomas Restrepo

Software developer located in Colombia.