My attempt at Microsoft Gadgets

I want to make a Lijit gadget for Windows Live.

I go to http://dev.live.com/gadgets/

I observe in the second post that the “See post here” text is not a link.  Hmmm, shoddy HTML coding. Oh well.

I’d like to get started. So I click on Getting Started.

I download the samples and jump through all the hoops of configuring IE safety zones and such.

I follow the instructions to go to http://www.live.com. The directions say to click the “Add Stuff” button, but it’s not there.

After a few minutes of poking around, I figure out that I have to click on “Personalized Page” first. Ah, okay. Wish they would have said that.

I look for a way to leave a comment, or write the author, or wiki-edit the page. Nothing. Oh well.

I try to add their example widget but get an error: “This feed cannot be added. Please try again later.”

Ugh.

I go back to http://dev.live.com/gadgets/ and head for the Forum for help.

I find a thread about a similar problem from March 2006. The guy having the problem is a Microsoft employee! At bottom of page I learn that the Getting Started page I was on left out some important necessary changes to IE. Seems even MS employees can’t edit that page.

I make those changes.

It still doesn’t work.

I go back to forum to leave a message. I try to sign up. I get an error. I try again, this time in Firefox. It works.

I look for a way to post a message, can’t find one.

I notice the copywrite on the page is “Copyright 2005 Microsoft Corporation.” 2 years ago?

In desperation, I click the Home Button. There I learn that these forums have been discontinued for a year and moved to MSDN. They’re just around as archives.

Ugh.

In the new forums I find someone else with the same problem. The post is from 7 months ago. No replies.

I add a reply with my tale of woe.

I give up. Maybe I’ll try later?