MSDN vs. MSDN2

The Microsoft Developer Network has gone through a slow overhauling since late 2006, and the results have begun to surface. Gradually, the changes introduced to MSDN have affected all areas of the website from the content to the style and to the domain name. This is nothing more than the natural evolution of MSDN, associated with the implementation of new tools, new content and new visual. But the aesthetic alterations are in fact just among the finishing touches for MSDN, or should I say MSDN2? I should, shouldn't I?

"Beginning last fall, the MSDN (Microsoft Developer Network) group has been using a new publishing tools and had to keep the content published with the old tools separate from the new. As you have probably figured out, MSDN2 is the site that uses the new tools. You might also have noticed that the URLs have changed more than just in the domain name. To keep our file names unique, the file names are for the most part now page IDs, rather than page titles. For example, "item" is a property of many objects and there are several "item" topic pages in the Library. The IDs make sure that no two "item" topic pages can have the same URL," explained Will Mason, Internet Explorer Developer Documentation Team Manager.

As of the end of May 2007, Microsoft has also refreshed the design of MSDN2. The redesign keeps to the traditional visual guidelines, and without revamping the layout, brings to the table a new look and enhanced navigation capabilities. Perhaps the most notable changes in this context are the navigation tabs and Silverlight implementation.

But changes in content and documentations have been visible only to the frequent users of MSDN. The fact of the matter is that Microsoft has also ensured that both MSND and MSDN2 share the same resources, migrating documentations from one domain to the other. In the future, the new file name scheme will survive while MSDN2 will not. The Redmond Company plans to revert MSDN2 back to just MSDN.