Microsoft China rips off Asia’s No. 1 Microblogging Service

Now, I'm acutely aware of the fact that this blog does not really have a million subscriber count but I need to post this and implore you, yes you who's reading this right now about the issue I've specified in the title. For over a year now, I've been very very actively using Plurk.com, a microblogging service first introduced to me while I was reading a Twitter post by Veronica Belmont. Along the way, numerous tech luminaries like Leo Laporte, Robert Scoble, Molly Wood, Tom Merritt, Jason Howell (Last 3 being of Buzz Out Loud fame) and many others came on and still from time to time, peek in and update their Plurks.

That however was just an intro for me into this new world, very different from Twitter, Plurk featured updates in a left to right scrolling method with 'karma' points and other badges being awarded for introducing your friends etc. Here's a screen shot:

Along the way, I've made many new friends and oddly enough, found a new fan base for my band. Plurk is now the fastest growing microblogging service in Asia. Until now that is.

This morning, Plurk's official blog reported that Microsoft China is launching a new microblogging service, MSN Juku/Hompy/Mclub. The problem with this tho is the fact that its an exact facsimile of Plurk. Right down to the bare code that runs the site. Obviously, its easy for us to get cynical and sneer at Chinese copyright abusers and such but this is Microsoft! As posted in the Plurk Blog:

"Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but blatant theft of code, design, and UI elements is just not cool, especially when the infringing party is the biggest software company in the world."

Uncool thing to do Microsoft. Please read the rest of the post here: and please spread the news to anyone that might care about a software giant that treads on smaller guys who are trying to make a break.