Windows has had a new look at Microsoft.com, and today WindowsLive.com joins the family, with a new look and a new project centered on allowing users to feature their tips and stories on Windows Live to a vast Microsoft audience. Content will be featured on the WindowsLive.com homepage, and also on individual pages for Windows Live products, such as Spaces or Messenger.

Integral to the project is a new Spaces site called the Windows Live Clubhouse, which users can request to join, learn about how to tag their “how-to” or “stories” posts, and get them included on the WindowsLive.com page. Clubhouse members will decide what appears on WindowsLive.com by rating posts tagged for inclusion.  Basically it works like this:

• First, users will need to join the “Clubhouse”, by clicking a link on the WindowsLive.com page. This will allow the project to track tags, and expose the posts to the Clubhouse for review and rating.
• Users write a blog post about Windows Live. Currently, these posts must be on a Windows Live Spaces site, but plans are for it to open up in October, according to Marty Collins, Windows Live Senior Marketing Manager.
• Using special tags such as the ones here, users will tag the post:

Windows Live Tags: Clubhouse, Windows Live, Spaces, LiveSide

    

(which puts a line of html coding in your post, like this: <a href="http://windows.live.com/connect/tag/{tag-encoded}" rel="clubhouseTag">{tag}</a>)

Then when the post appears on the Clubhouse, Clubhouse members will be able to rate and/or comment on the posts. Once at least three Clubhouse members have approved the post, it will be included for filtering up to the WindowsLive.com User Generated Content sections featured on the sites.

While posts will be subject to the Spaces Terms of Use (ie: no personal attacks, porn, etc), Microsoft will not be editing the content for say positive feedback only, according to Collins. Users on the Clubhouse site will decide what appears on the WindowsLive.com site, not Microsoft.

Collins also said that plans are to expand the project to include User Generated Content (she called it UGC) on the Windows site in October.