Microsoft Corp says it will close down the Firefly online community web site on August 18th. The online community was acquired with FireFly Network Inc back in April 1998. Usage of the site has been dwindling, Microsoft said. Firefly was acquired for its intelligent agent user preference technology, Firefly Passport, and Microsoft has absorbed the technology and engineers into its own Microsoft Passport single sign-on web navigation and electronic commerce project, due out later this year. The Firefly team has also been working on products such as MSN LinkExchange and Privacy Wizard. The Firefly online service will become a section of MSN Communities.
