While I was recovering from CES, Microsoft launched a new blog -- Microsoft On The Issues. It will focus on legal and policy issues; Brad Smith captures the goal of the blog in his first post:
Today we are launching "Microsoft on the Issues" to open another, more direct line of communication that will enable us to quickly and succinctly provide our perspective on the pressing technology matters of the day. We do not want this to be a one-way conversation. We want to create a transparent dialogue with readers and stakeholders. We want to enhance our participation in discussions that propel policy-making at local, national and international levels.
With all the thousands of blogs by Microsoft over the years, one piece that has been missing is the direct voice from the legal and corporate affairs team…..Microsoft on the Issues will fill this void nicely.
New blogs are always hard to predict; the joy of a blog comes as much as the accumulation over time of inbound/outbound links, comments, responses. In this case, the topic areas are meaty and apply super broadly; there is more linkage between technology and society and policy than ever before – will be fun to see the blog grow/thrive!