What is Channel 9 from Microsoft?

The Microsoft community website Channel 9 was launched in 2004 and is intended to increase the reputation of the company by providing video channels, discussions, podcasts, screencasts and interviews.

The new Channel 9 was Microsoft’s first blog, launched in 2004 when the company’s reputation was at an all-time low. This brand was created to reflect Microsoft’s strategy of publishing conversations among Microsoft developers, instead of publishing interviews with Microsoft CEO Bill Gates, who had previously been the company’s “face.” This cut costs, enabling Microsoft’s Professional Developers Conference (PDC) to serve as a low-cost public event for customers and outside developers to meet Microsoft employees and engage in one-on-one conversations with the company’s employees without having to use the company’s public relations (PR) department.

The Channel 9 team have produced interviews with Bill Gates, Erik Meijer and Mark Russinovich.

Microsoft’s own FlexWiki, used to be featured on Channel 9. The Wiki was used by various Microsoft teams to provide ad hoc feedback, such as to the Internet Explorer team, as well as for teams like Patterns & Practices, which used it to help promote discussion.