Mar. 7, 2007

Not long ago, Becky of Gardnerville, Nev., wrote in with an idea:

"How about adding a 'This Day in History' section, including world and U.S. history for each day of the year? I love history, so that would be a highlight for me!"

And our informal survey, like the one at the right about the NCAA tournament, asked users about their interest in history. The results were significant: 57 percent really like taking a look at the past, and 31 percent do sometimes.

So it's gratifying to be able to direct users to an easy-to-access Encarta feature we have on MSN that apparently not everyone knows about.

This bookmarkable page is available on the Encarta main page, in an area called "Fun Facts and Brain Candy."

But perhaps few realize the day and date at the very top of the MSN homepage are a hyperlink to the same page. Almost every link on the homepage has a purpose, and the one that gives you a "date" with history is just one example.

Another of my favorite "bonus links" is the word "Entertainment" atop the box grouping such content, about midway down the page in the left column. Conveniently listed just below the search bar are specific links to Movies, Music and TV, but by clicking on the "Entertainment" label, you can go to the all-in-one section, which is at entertainment.msn.com. That hub page satisfies my quick all-in-one visit to all things show business.

Typing in that lengthy Web address or accessing that content by clicking on the MSN Directory to scan the alphabetical listing are other ways to get there, but they're not as direct. Like many of you, I'm keen on surfing quickly to whatever information I want.

One tenant of online content – or any public service, really – is to be respectful of people's time. So we are always exploring ways to direct you more expediently to material, as well as to test new technologies or applications that ensure the page loads quickly, for instance.

Because the depth of content on our portal is so immense, one way we do that is via the link at the bottom of the homepage, encouraging people to take a tour. Not all of its features are presented there, but savvy users notice when their cursor changes to a pointer to see what lies beneath.

For history mongers, our site is rife with perspective, in both the near and distant past.

News partner MSNBC has a daily feature from the Associated Press much like Encarta's page that lists notable events from year's past plus birthdays. It's accessible from low on the Education page within its U.S. News category.

Encarta, of course, is MSN's main arena for exploring history. For instance, it's a go-to destination for relevant content on Women's or Black History Month. For such broad topics, we find other ways to group material.

Last Friday, to help kick off the month, one term among those listed in the Popular Search zone on the homepage was for Women's History Month. That grouped ways to explore via search and specific MSN content that included Encarta's package on 10 women who changed the world, a Slate gallery of historic Mangum photos called "Uncommon Women" and an MSN Women's Lifestyle piece explaining the National Women’s History Project's theme for 2007.

People who watch news closely, knowing it quickly becomes history, can take MSNBC's weekly news quiz, which links to others on business, sports, entertainment, science, space and travel.

More specifically, however, MSN editors watch for content that blends current perspective with historical import. That's the kind of experience appreciated by users like Dyanne, of Hunting Beach, Calif., who in December wrote:

"I thoroughly enjoy MSN. I like the idea of knowing a little bit about everything. So I start at the top and work my way through the whole site. My favorite today was the human-interest piece on the final farewell for the survivors of Pearl Harbor. I love history and humanity. It is easy to get discouraged with the world when you read about people being shot for their shoes, and non-profit charities losing their profits to embezzlers. So, for me, the balance of information I find on msn.com is very refreshing. Thank you."

Thanks to you, Dyanne, and others like you who write to us, detailing what you like about MSN and what you'd like to see improved.