On January 27th the TechNet Blog user accounts merged with the TechNet Forums Profiles. 

This was part of a profile centralization effort, which consolidated our users’ profile suites down to a single instance that can be used across the TechNet websites.

What is the benefit?

• The main benefit of a centralized TechNet Profile system is to simplify the online community experience.
• The single Profile model gives you the ability to navigate seamlessly through not only the TechNet Blogs, but also through the TechNet Forums.

How does it work?

There is one of two options you will encounter as a previous user of TechNet.

• If you have an existing blog user account but do nothave a TechNet Profile, the system will use your pre-existing Blogs account to create a TechNet Profile.
  • When you make your initial visit the Blogs after the update, you will notice that some aspects of your profile (your avatar, for example) may have changed.
  • To update this information, you can simply click on your name in the site header, which will take you to your TechNet Profile page, where you can customize your settings.
  • Once your TechNet profile has been created, you will be given a chance to review and change your Blog site specific settings. 
• If you already have both a blog user account as well as a TechNet Profile, you will notice that the TechNet Blogs will now display your TechNet Profile information.
  • Clicking on your name in the site header will take you to your TechNet profile page, where you can view and edit your profile.
  • The Settings link will now take you to the Blog Site Settings page.  It is here where you will be able to manage any Blogs specific settings such as: editor, type, date, format, time zone and so forth. 
  • From the settings page, you will also be able to manage and find your Friends.

For those who don’t yet have a user account or a TechNet Profile, you will be guided through the new TechNet Profile creation process.  From that point forward, TechNet will use the TechNet Profile automatically.

You are not required to create an TechNet Profile to read a blog or other TechNet content. You will need a profile to add TechNet Community Content, and some blogs will require a Profile to post a comment there.

We are very excited about bringing the Blogs to the TechNet Profile.  This is a tremendous step forward which will make an already awesome community that much richer!