"Microsoft is developing a free online service that will let people list items for sale, events and other classifieds-type of information that can be shared either with groups of friends or anyone over the Internet," reports CNet.
"The service, code-named Fremont, has been in internal testing at Microsoft for about a week and a half, Garry Wiseman, MSN product unit manager, told CNET News.com in an interview. He said he could not say when it would be available publicly. 'Basically, it will be a free listing service, with a bunch of twists to make it very unique, such as integration with social networks, in particular integration with MSN Messenger,' he said."
A little like Google Base?
"We started this before anyone knew about Google Base. Having seen what Google Base is doing, I don't think they were aiming for a classifieds service," Wiseman said. "They don't have a taxonomy of listings like we do. They see it as an open database."
Users will be able to geo-tag listings so they can be shown on the 3D map formerly called Virtual Earth.
A bit of local knowledge can help. As the Seattle Post-Intelligencer story says: "The company refers to the upcoming Windows Live service by the code name 'Fremont' -- after the Seattle neighborhood with the popular Sunday market where community members buy and sell goods."
