Just a week after WorldCom Inc bought H&R Block’s CompuServe Inc and sold the content provider bit of it to America Online Inc (CI No 3,242), several CompuServe staff have defected to Microsoft Corp’s rival Microsoft Network MSN, including one of the company’s chief architects, Bruce MacNaughton. Microsoft has also spirited away two CompuServe Forum managers, Don Watkins and Ron Luks, and a couple of their team. Microsoft says MacNaughton, who was with CompuServe for more than 18 years, will concentrate on building communications technology to enhance the MSN online community, while Watkins and Luks will initially set up ten new computing and high technology forums, rising, Microsoft says, to 20 by the end of the year. Microsoft describes the two as ‘popular’ Forum Managers, and is no doubt hoping they will bring with them faithful followers who will convert from CompuServe to MSN. The company is offering CompuServe members who still want to participate in their favorite computing communities the chance to try MSN free for a month, providing they have Windows 95 and a modem. The new forums, Microsoft says, will be available from next month on Computing on the Microsoft Network, and will offer topics ranging from home electronics to wireless communications.
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