Integration of MSDN Blog User Account with MSDN Forums Profile

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On January 27th the MSDN blogs user accounts merged with the MSDN Forums Profiles. 

This is part of a profile centralization effort, which consolidated our users’ profile suites down to a single account to be used across the MSDN websites.

What is the benefit?

  • The main benefit of a centralized MSDN Profile system is to simplify the online community experience.
  • The single Profile model gives you the ability to navigate seamlessly through not only the MSDN Blogs, but also through the MSDN Forums.

How will it work?

There is one of two options you will encounter as a previous user of MSDN.

  • If you have an existing blog user account but do nothave a MSDN Profile, the system will use your pre-existing Blogs account to create a MSDN Profile.
    • When you make your initial visit the Blogs after the update, you will notice that some aspects of your profile (your avatar, for example) may have changed.
    • To update this information, you can simply click on your name in the site header, which will take you to your MSDN Profile page, where you can customize your settings.
    • Once your MSDN profile has been created, you will be given a chance to review and change your Blog site specific settings. 
  • If you already have both a blog user account as well as a MSDN Profile, you will notice that the MSDN Blogs will now display your MSDN Profile information.
    • Clicking on your name in the site header will take you to your MSDN profile page, where you can view and edit your profile.
    • The Settings link will now take you to the Blog Site Settings page.  It is here where you will be able to manage any Blogs specific settings such as: editor, type, date, format, time zone and so forth. 
    • From the settings page, you will also be able to manage and find your Friends.

For those who don’t yet have a user account or a MSDN Profile, you will be guided through the new MSDN Profile creation process.  From that point forward, MSDN will use the MSDN Profile automatically.

You are not required to create an MSDN Profile to read a blog or other MSDN content. You will need a profile to add MSDN Community Content, and some blogs will require a Profile to post a comment there.

We are very excited about bringing the Blogs to the MSDN Profile.  This is a tremendous step forward which will make an already awesome community that much richer!