So I was recently reading about the fact Microsoft may buy up Yahoo. Sighting Google,AOL and FaceBook as Microsoft's biggest online competitors. I then thought of how Google+ seems to be failing even though in its early stages to compete or offer a competitive service to FaceBook. Then it hit me, Microsoft has all the services and user base/market share to make a successful social network site at its finger tips right now.

Google really is starting from scratch with Google+, they have a very well known search engine brand but other then that they don't have the biggest amount of subscribers. Google's online services like GMail are dismal compared to the competition.

If Microsoft were to acquire Yahoo they would be poised with the subscriber and established user base to actually create a competitor to FaceBook. How do I suggest they go about doing that?

Well if Microsoft acquires Yahoo Mail they will control an over whelming majority of the online email market. In fact Yahoo Mail leads with 4.7% share (out of the whole Internet traffic in US) followed by Windows Live Mail (1.94%) and Google Gmail at 0.8%.

Microsoft could take their existing social networking email service "Windows Live" and go on the direct offensive against both Google+ and FaceBook. Imagine Microsoft announced this new social network that all Hotmail and Yahoo mail subscribers would automatically be integrated into. Using all the existing profile information from Yahoo Mail and Hotmail to produce a profile, integrating email into the service and offering every user exclusive new profile tools.

Microsoft could cut a huge barrier preventing Google+ from being successful. Getting people to sign up, since Yahoo Mail and Hotmail already have millions upon millions of users. MS could simply send an activation code to all active users of their mail services and messaging services. Once you click accept your account is instantly created based on the existing info from Hotmail, Yahoo Mail, MSN and Yahoo Messenger.

Users of the new social network would have X-Box Live and Windows Market Place, Games for Windows all integrated into Microsoft's new social network. Windows future OS could be integrated partially into the new Social Network allowing you to use the network from your Desktop. Every new computer would come with an automatic invite to the new Social Network making it a household name. Integrate it with Windows Phone's and make it compatible with I-Phones and Android devices similar to FaceBook and you've got a capable competitor.

Microsoft could make this Social Network an internet hub with an App giving you access to Yahoo, Bing and the MSN features all on your homepage. Hotmail and Yahoo Mail completely integrated into the messaging service with MSN Messenger and Yahoo Messenger services both being utilized to compete against FaceBook's messaging service.

I can't see how such a social network couldn't be a success. Would it kill FaceBook? Probably not but it would definitely create a capable competitor. Not to mention Microsoft talks about landing a blow on AOL well a successful social network capable of taking on FaceBook and Google would definitely land a blow on AOL as well as Google!

Anyone else think a Windows Social Network would be a great idea, especially if it integrated both Yahoo and Microsoft's mail, messaging , OS , Live and other services into one convenient hub?

Now even if Microsoft fails to purchase Yahoo, which they are rumored to be considering. They would still have Hotmail, Windows, MSN Messenger, Live, Bing etc...etc... to integrate and would still be able to create a very competent competitor to FaceBook, something not even Google is capable of doing!

You forgot a 'No, social networking can go fuck itself' option.

i didn't read all that you've said, but They have one already.

I was aware of that, however

"On September 27, 2010, Microsoft announced that it would discontinue Windows Live Spaces, and in partnership with Automattic, a free opt-in migration of user blogs to WordPress.com will be offered to Windows Live Spaces users.^[3] Beginning January 4, 2011, users were not able to make changes to Spaces, but contents were still viewable and downloadable. Windows Live Spaces was fully shut down on March 16, 2011."

Spaces also failed to integrate the many services Microsoft already has a kay part of what I said would make it a success. Spaces wasn't viable as a competant competitor with FaceBook or Google+. It didn't have the app support or user base to support a proper competitor, with Yahoo's possible take over Microsoft has a golden oppertunity to really take the market by storm.

Also with the newer versions of Windows , Microsoft is integrating services more and more it would be a natural step for Microsoft to create a single profile hub integrating all of its services into one social networking site. Of course other users could still access Hotmail or Yahoo Mail or use the different messengers. But you could go on the Microsoft social networking hub and access any and all of Microsoft's services at once as well as all the social networking features.

I'm not talking about just carbon copying FaceBook, I'm talking about creating a new service incorporating everything Windows has at its disposal. A single hub for everything Windows online, Live, Bing, Hotmail, Yahoo Mail, Yahoo, Windows OS, Windows Phone's , Messenger (MSN and Yahoo). Microsoft has a chance to actually create a service on par if not superior to that of FaceBook and Google+!

What PullusPardus said.

No the trend will be that people are disconnecting themselfs from socials networks and limiting themselfs to one.. while the social networks want you to give more and more information, the actual users are giving less and less.. privacy is becoming an issue.. at least that whats the experts said in a seminar which the company paid 400 euros for me to attend.. Microsoft, as always, is too late to be a gamechanger..

Read my response above. Spaces was not an integration of Windows Services nor did it offer the features that make FaceBook so sucessful. Spaces offered nothing truly unique and failed to integrate Microsoft's huge user base, if Microsoft had automatically integrated all Hotmail and MSN users as well as all future Windows OS owners into it. Added Bing to the top and integrated it alongside with Windows Live Games like offering AOE and other properties compatible with the PC versions as well as Live compatibility.

Imagine how revolutionary this could be for Windows. Creating a hub for all of Windows online services that also serves as a social network site. Putting the invite process in ever future Windows device whether it be a Phone, Tablet, PC, X-Box. Then having all the existing hotmail users and Microsoft supporters from competing devices like Android devices or Apple based devices or Linux. All integrated into one hub, bringing together all the Microsoft user base into one internet super power.

It would be the best way to compete against Google and FaceBook. Which are Microsoft's two biggest online competitors, Microsoft needs to take advantage of their huge user base both online and in the PC and console market. We already see Microsoft services being integrated with one another like Hotmail, SkyDrive and MSN forming Windows Live's email service. While separately the gaming division between PC, X-Box and Phones have been integrating gradually. But you've still got Yahoo if Microsoft acquires them and all of Microsoft's other online services like Bing and MSN. Microsoft moving in the right direction integrating them, but they have yet to integrate all of them into one online hub available to the everyone. If they integrated all of their online services linking them into a single hub (Social Network) that service couldn't fail.

Except for X-Box live, Hotmail incorporates everything, even BIng.  The "spaces" were to let you upload pictures and stuff and update your status and msn was for chat (Which should also be in hotmail, I'm too lazy to check).  Though what they plan to do now that they shut down spaces, who knows and meh.  When Microsoft puts effort into something, they do well (X-box, Windows 7).  But when they don't care everything is just kinda tucked under a rug (msn, spaces, hotmail, windows mobile 7, Which I hope gets a new marketting push, etc).  Social networking is something they're putting under a rug.  Though I have a hunch they'll do something with it for Windows 8.

edit: your response to pulluspardus wasn't there when I posted my previous comment.

Yeah that would certainly help Microsoft's "Me too" image.

Nope. MS already owns part of Facebook and more valuable to MS if they just continue to integrate with Facebook and grow Xbox Live.