sign into windows mail passport dialog

Hi,
I just installed Vista beta 2. And I am trying out Windows Mail. When I try to post a question to the MS Newsgroups it asks me to Sign Into Windows Mail and its a Passport Dialog.
I think this is very misleading. Newsgroups are Newsgroups why am i required to provide my Passport ID for posting questions?
Secondly, Why does the dialog read Sign In to Windows Mail? It's highly misleading since I have no clue why I should sign-in. I am posting to a newsgroup, it should probablly tell me to sign on to a news group not Windows Mail!
Regards, Saurabh Nandu www.AksTech.com

Because it prevents spamming. If you want to submit anything to Microsoft, or recieve anything from Microsoft, generally you will need to prove who you are by signing in with a Windows Live ID or Passport.
Sign into Windows Mail... sign into the newsgroups... either way, it doesn't really matter all that much.
-- Zack Whittaker » ZackNET Enterprises: www.zacknet.co.uk » MSBlog on ResDev: www.msblog.org » Vista Knowledge Base: www.vistabase.co.uk » This mailing is provided "as is" with no warranties, and confers no rights. All opinions expressed are those of myself unless stated so, and not of my employer, best friend, Ghandi, my mother or my cat. Glad we cleared that up!
--: Original message follows :-- "Saurabh Nandu" wrote in message

Hi,
I just installed Vista beta 2. And I am trying out Windows Mail. When I try to post a question to the MS Newsgroups it asks me to Sign Into Windows Mail and its a Passport Dialog.
I think this is very misleading. Newsgroups are Newsgroups why am i required to provide my Passport ID for posting questions?
Secondly, Why does the dialog read Sign In to Windows Mail? It's highly misleading since I have no clue why I should sign-in. I am posting to a newsgroup, it should probablly tell me to sign on to a news group not Windows Mail!
Regards, Saurabh Nandu www.AksTech.com

Hi,
Tools/options/general tab, uncheck the line to use community support features.
-- Best of Luck,
Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/ Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
"Saurabh Nandu" wrote in message

Hi,
I just installed Vista beta 2. And I am trying out Windows Mail. When I try to post a question to the MS Newsgroups it asks me to Sign Into Windows Mail and its a Passport Dialog.
I think this is very misleading. Newsgroups are Newsgroups why am i required to provide my Passport ID for posting questions?
Secondly, Why does the dialog read Sign In to Windows Mail? It's highly misleading since I have no clue why I should sign-in. I am posting to a newsgroup, it should probablly tell me to sign on to a news group not Windows Mail!
Regards, Saurabh Nandu www.AksTech.com

Go to Tools > Accounts > select the "Microsoft Help Groups" > Properties > Passport > select the "Never use Community features that require Passport" radio box > OK. -- -- Andre Windows Connected | http://www.windowsconnected.com Extended64 | http://www.extended64.com Blog | http://www.extended64.com/blogs/andre http://spaces.msn.com/members/adacosta
"Saurabh Nandu" wrote in message

Hi,
I just installed Vista beta 2. And I am trying out Windows Mail. When I try to post a question to the MS Newsgroups it asks me to Sign Into Windows Mail and its a Passport Dialog.
I think this is very misleading. Newsgroups are Newsgroups why am i required to provide my Passport ID for posting questions?
Secondly, Why does the dialog read Sign In to Windows Mail? It's highly misleading since I have no clue why I should sign-in. I am posting to a newsgroup, it should probablly tell me to sign on to a news group not Windows Mail!
Regards, Saurabh Nandu www.AksTech.com

Zack,
It does matter since this functionality is turned on By Default without my confirmation. I know a hell lot of people who hate MS passport and if MS wants to impose this functionality on everyone by default they need to first inform the user I belive.
Regards, Saurabh Nandu
"Zack Whittaker" wrote in message

Because it prevents spamming. If you want to submit anything to Microsoft, or recieve anything from Microsoft, generally you will need to prove who you are by signing in with a Windows Live ID or Passport.
Sign into Windows Mail... sign into the newsgroups... either way, it doesn't really matter all that much.
-- Zack Whittaker » ZackNET Enterprises: www.zacknet.co.uk » MSBlog on ResDev: www.msblog.org » Vista Knowledge Base: www.vistabase.co.uk » This mailing is provided "as is" with no warranties, and confers no rights. All opinions expressed are those of myself unless stated so, and not of my employer, best friend, Ghandi, my mother or my cat. Glad we cleared that up!
--: Original message follows :-- "Saurabh Nandu" wrote in message Hi,
I just installed Vista beta 2. And I am trying out Windows Mail. When I try to post a question to the MS Newsgroups it asks me to Sign Into Windows Mail and its a Passport Dialog.
I think this is very misleading. Newsgroups are Newsgroups why am i required to provide my Passport ID for posting questions?
Secondly, Why does the dialog read Sign In to Windows Mail? It's highly misleading since I have no clue why I should sign-in. I am posting to a newsgroup, it should probablly tell me to sign on to a news group not Windows Mail!
Regards, Saurabh Nandu www.AksTech.com

Thanks ... But shouldn't MS make it more prominant when they ask me for a Passport ID the first time. Since it leaves the new user clueless why this sort of Login is required. Also what benefit the end user gains from Community Support needs clear articulation, don't you think?
Regards, Saurabh Nandu
"Rick Rogers" wrote in message

Hi,
Tools/options/general tab, uncheck the line to use community support features.
-- Best of Luck,
Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/ Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
"Saurabh Nandu" wrote in message Hi,
I just installed Vista beta 2. And I am trying out Windows Mail. When I try to post a question to the MS Newsgroups it asks me to Sign Into Windows Mail and its a Passport Dialog.
I think this is very misleading. Newsgroups are Newsgroups why am i required to provide my Passport ID for posting questions?
Secondly, Why does the dialog read Sign In to Windows Mail? It's highly misleading since I have no clue why I should sign-in. I am posting to a newsgroup, it should probablly tell me to sign on to a news group not Windows Mail!
Regards, Saurabh Nandu www.AksTech.com

thanks for your response.
Regards, Saurabh Nandu
"Andre Da Costa [Extended64]" wrote in message

Go to Tools > Accounts > select the "Microsoft Help Groups" > Properties Passport > select the "Never use Community features that require Passport" radio box > OK. -- -- Andre Windows Connected | http://www.windowsconnected.com Extended64 | http://www.extended64.com Blog | http://www.extended64.com/blogs/andre http://spaces.msn.com/members/adacosta
"Saurabh Nandu" wrote in message Hi,
I just installed Vista beta 2. And I am trying out Windows Mail. When I try to post a question to the MS Newsgroups it asks me to Sign Into Windows Mail and its a Passport Dialog.
I think this is very misleading. Newsgroups are Newsgroups why am i required to provide my Passport ID for posting questions?
Secondly, Why does the dialog read Sign In to Windows Mail? It's highly misleading since I have no clue why I should sign-in. I am posting to a newsgroup, it should probablly tell me to sign on to a news group not Windows Mail!
Regards, Saurabh Nandu www.AksTech.com

You're using Microsoft Beta OS/Applications, and you're trying to access Microsoft servers with Microsoft's own beta-grade software... having to authenticate with their Passport/Live ID scheme to access Microsoft's servers seems absolutely normal and necessary. It's more secure (in business speak, not technical terms).
As for making these things clear, that is a *marketing* concern, and i'm certain it is on their plate to make all these nooks and crannies be in-line with acceptable standard practices.
- naseru
"Saurabh Nandu" wrote in message

Thanks ... But shouldn't MS make it more prominant when they ask me for a Passport ID the first time. Since it leaves the new user clueless why this sort of Login is required. Also what benefit the end user gains from Community Support needs clear articulation, don't you think?
Regards, Saurabh Nandu
"Rick Rogers" wrote in message Hi,
Tools/options/general tab, uncheck the line to use community support features.
-- Best of Luck,
Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/ Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
"Saurabh Nandu" wrote in message Hi,
I just installed Vista beta 2. And I am trying out Windows Mail. When I try to post a question to the MS Newsgroups it asks me to Sign Into Windows Mail and its a Passport Dialog.
I think this is very misleading. Newsgroups are Newsgroups why am i required to provide my Passport ID for posting questions?
Secondly, Why does the dialog read Sign In to Windows Mail? It's highly misleading since I have no clue why I should sign-in. I am posting to a newsgroup, it should probablly tell me to sign on to a news group not Windows Mail!
Regards, Saurabh Nandu www.AksTech.com

A few years ago Microsoft introduced a communities rating system that piggy backs with the mswnews NTTP server to provide an HTTP interface. This interface is now coupled with Windows Mail in Vista, the user can rate and view information with respect to various messages to better obtain an answer to questions.
The system is described for HTTP here (http://www.microsoft.com/wn3/locales/help/help_en-US.htm) and the WinMail interfaced will be detailed at a later date.
As indicated by other respondents, you can disable the communities feature in WinMail.
Unfortunately the Vista Help info on WinMail doesn't include much documentation yet.
The Passport information however is not in any way communicated to any newsserver, but only to the MS communities server which handles the verification and ratings, etc..
You'll see additional columns in WinMail for instance if you elect to view the communities features, such as the Bullet column (after the From) indicating the rating of the contributor (MVPS are so marked), the Heart column indicating the question type and the Star column representing the posts rating. I suspect the icons on the column headers will change, but they need to minimize real estate usage.
Here's an example for those who don't have Vista installed or who have the feature turned off:

Note that you and I are listed as MVPs, but when you disabled the feature, you are no longer listed as such, as you weren't signed on to Passport. Also notice your original start of the thread was listed as a question and the rest are comments. The HTTP interface has been around for years. These extra fields are the representation WinMail's interface with such.
Users who sign in can rate the posts as to their usefullness, if they have simlar problems. MVPs have additional powers to mark posts and rate them.
steve
MS-MVP Outlook Express Windows Mail "Saurabh Nandu" wrote in message

Hi,
I just installed Vista beta 2. And I am trying out Windows Mail. When I try to post a question to the MS Newsgroups it asks me to Sign Into Windows Mail and its a Passport Dialog.
I think this is very misleading. Newsgroups are Newsgroups why am i required to provide my Passport ID for posting questions?
Secondly, Why does the dialog read Sign In to Windows Mail? It's highly misleading since I have no clue why I should sign-in. I am posting to a newsgroup, it should probablly tell me to sign on to a news group not Windows Mail!
Regards, Saurabh Nandu www.AksTech.com

It shouldn't be required because you are running beta software and it does not. Its really a feature for persons who use the client in Windows to access ngs and want to take advantage of its features such finding helpful post. -- -- Andre Windows Connected | http://www.windowsconnected.com Extended64 | http://www.extended64.com Blog | http://www.extended64.com/blogs/andre http://spaces.msn.com/members/adacosta
"Naseru" wrote in message

You're using Microsoft Beta OS/Applications, and you're trying to access Microsoft servers with Microsoft's own beta-grade software... having to authenticate with their Passport/Live ID scheme to access Microsoft's servers seems absolutely normal and necessary. It's more secure (in business speak, not technical terms).
As for making these things clear, that is a *marketing* concern, and i'm certain it is on their plate to make all these nooks and crannies be in-line with acceptable standard practices.
- naseru
"Saurabh Nandu" wrote in message Thanks ... But shouldn't MS make it more prominant when they ask me for a Passport ID the first time. Since it leaves the new user clueless why this sort of Login is required. Also what benefit the end user gains from Community Support needs clear articulation, don't you think?
Regards, Saurabh Nandu
"Rick Rogers" wrote in message Hi,
Tools/options/general tab, uncheck the line to use community support features.
-- Best of Luck,
Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/ Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
"Saurabh Nandu" wrote in message Hi,
I just installed Vista beta 2. And I am trying out Windows Mail. When I try to post a question to the MS Newsgroups it asks me to Sign Into Windows Mail and its a Passport Dialog.
I think this is very misleading. Newsgroups are Newsgroups why am i required to provide my Passport ID for posting questions?
Secondly, Why does the dialog read Sign In to Windows Mail? It's highly misleading since I have no clue why I should sign-in. I am posting to a newsgroup, it should probablly tell me to sign on to a news group not Windows Mail!
Regards, Saurabh Nandu www.AksTech.com