How To Use Windows Live as a Social Networking Hub

Published: 11/03/10

This is a guide on how you can set-up your Windows Live account and use it as the main hub for your social networking.

A few years ago, Windows Live was a stand alone Instant Messenger Service.

Now, with Facebook and MySpace integrating Instant Messenging into their web interface, so has Windows Live, creating a whole new social networking space.

Windows Live is no longer just an Instant Messenger, it's a social networking hub laid out very similar to Facebook.

First of all, you do have to have a Hotmail email account to use the site. You can go to www.hotmail.com and sign up for one. (This doesn't mean that you have to use Hotmail as your main email account. You just need to have a Hotmail account setup to use the Windows Live service.)

After you sign up for your Hotmail email account, log in, and you'll be taken to your “Home” area. This is the area where you'll see all your updates.

If you decide to use Hotmail as your new email service, you'll see your new emails at the top under “Hotmail highlights”, and then all social networking updates will be at the bottom under “Messenger social”. Your Instant Messenger is off to the right under “Messenger friends”.

Now, we need to add your Facebook (or MySpace) account(s) to Windows Live.

First, you're going to click on “Profile” at the top right-hand side of your screen (under your name), then on the left hand side under “Connected to” click on “Connect”. Now you have an entire list of sites that you can have streamed into your Windows Live account.

After you set up your Facebook, MySpace, or other social networking sites to your account, your updates will start streaming onto your “Home” page. You'll also be able to chat with your Facebook and MySpace friends and also reply to their posts right within Windows Live.

Another feature that you can use in Windows Live is that you can “cross post”. For instance, if you post a status update to Windows Live, it will cross post to Facebook and MySpace (if you have set the permissions to allow for this). Also, when you create a photo album in Windows Live it will also cross post to your social networking sites (again, if you have allowed it to in the permission settings).

As you can see, Windows Live can be a powerful social networking tool that will allow you to keep up with all your friends in one place, rather than having to visit multiple sites during the day.

Finally, while you're in Windows Live, don't forget to fill out your own profile, add your interests, and invite your friends to use the site!

• Lost and want to get back to your “Home” page? Hover your mouse over the Windows Live logo at the top left-hand side of your screen. A drop down box will appear. Click on “Home”.

• Want to view or setup your profile in Windows Live? Click on “profile” at the top right-hand side of your screen (under your name).