Microsoft has launched their own blogging utility in an attempt to drive the competition out of business compete with blogger, Movable Type, Typepad, etc. But as CNET reports, dealing with Microsoft may have some significant drawbacks.

First of all, there is the censorship. You can't just post anything you want, and in simply choosing a blog name you may run into Microsoft's censorship filters pretty quickly. Second, there are the terms and conditions, which pretty much signs your content over to Microsoft:

For materials you post. . .you grant Microsoft permission to (1) use, copy, distribute, transmit, publicly display, publicly perform, reproduce, edit, modify, translate and reformat your Submission. . . Microsoft will not pay you for your Submission. Microsoft may remove your Submission at any time. . . To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Microsoft may monitor your e-mail, or other electronic communications and may disclose such information. . .

I'll admit that building a website like Ravenwood's Universe is no easy task. The next iteration will probably require a team of highly paid professional developers. Combine that with the rising cost of hosting fees and domain registration, and it isn't exactly cheap. But still, I would rather spend the money than use Microsoft's "free" offer which seems to take the "free" out of freedom.