Microsoft does it again, screws up; accidentally publishes its Facebook competitor

[Atman]

Never mind how amazing it is that they would let this leak, I just have to ask...who comes up with the names for MS products? I mean, seriously..."Tulalip?"

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By Peter Bright | Published July 15, 2011 12:26 PM
Microsoft published, and then rapidly removed, a landing page for a new social service named "Tulalip." The page was discovered by Fusible after the site was investigating Microsoft's recent purchase of the domain "socl.com." The now-removed page described the service, saying that it would let you "Find what you need and Share what you know easier than ever," and its Metro-styled interface sported buttons to sign in with both Facebook and Twitter.

That's all gone now. In its stead, Microsoft has published a short apology, claiming that socl.com was an "internal design project" from a Microsoft Research team, published to the Web by mistake. It ends, "We didn't mean to, honest."

Microsoft has said in the past that it doesn't need to invent its own social network and compete head-on with the 800 lb Facebook gorilla; this is a change from the Microsoft of old, that endeavored to enter every market to avoid being left out. The official line is that "Nobody wants another Facebook", though Google apparently disagrees. Instead, Redmond has invested in and partnered with Facebook, integrating support for Facebook's services into things like Bing and Windows Live Messenger. This makes it likely that socl.com/Tulalip is some narrower take on social networking rather than some precursor to a full-blown social network.

One possibility engendered by the mention of searching and sharing is an expansion of the existing Bing Facebook integration. Bing already includes personalization of search results to include items liked by friends and make it easier to find people on Facebook within Bing. socl.com may be taking this further, for example to allow easier sharing of search results, or deeper search integration into Facebook and Twitter's data.

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http://arstechnica.com/#!/microsoft/news/2011/07/microsoft-lets-slip-a-social-networking-project-social-search-or-something-more.ars

[SpiralHawk]

1. What's more lovely than roses on a piano?

Tulalips on an organ.

[formercia]

2. Fly unzipped

Who will have the heart to tell them?...:rofl:

[LoZoccolo]

3. It's probably a code name; Microsoft uses them as stand-ins until

marketing comes up with a name. Windows 95 was called "Chicago" until a time nearer its release, for instance. They tend to use the names of cities. Tulalip is a Native American tribe in Washington.

[Buns_of_Fire]

4. Tulalip... My darkest fears are now confirmed...

We've run out of words to call stuff. Mark my words, we're seeing the imminent collapse of the Oxford Dictionary's 150-year reign of terror.

[ashling]

5. Tulalip (Tuh-lay-lup)

http://www.tulaliptribes-nsn.gov/

[customerserviceguy]

8. Yep, I recognized the name the second I saw it

MS often code-names it's projects after Washington State geographical features and place names.

[Recursion]

10. MS codenames projects after local towns & geographic features

Whistler, Longhorn, etc.

[saras]

11. yep

http://www.whistler.com/">skiing near Vancouver BC, just across the border

http://www.longhornbarbecue.com/auburn-frameset.html">best Texas barbecue in Washington

both more 'local' than Chicago or Cairo.

Wikipedia's "List of Microsoft codenames" is pretty amusing.

[Springer9]

6. An accidental peek at MS vaporware?

They've never done that before.

[Joe Bacon]

7. Tip Toe Thru The Tulalips??????

Doesn't sound too cool... :shrug:

[customerserviceguy]

9. You think that's funny

go look up Humptulips, WA, they could have named it after that!