Web Slices: Letting users create their experience and control their content or a better idea than implementation?

[Karen Bachmann]

Has anyone been using or creating web slices, a feature in IE8 (Microsoft's description of the feature)? When I first learned about web slices earlier this year, I was intrigued. Web slices seemed to allow users to turn their Favorites bar into essentially a customized portal, creating a new form of user experience with existing content. However, I haven't heard much about implementations or the reactions people have had.

A Google search revealed a number of tech review articles and some how-to guides, but few actual examples bubbled to the top. One noteworthy example that did was the The New York Times Latest Stories web slice, but reader comments (excluding the "I hate IE/MS" posts) indicate that the experience is still lacking.

If you are using web slices for yourself, what has your experience been like? What web slices do you subscribe to? Has it been a useful way to manage information?

If you are designing sites that offer web slices, how have they been received? Do you have any lessons to share for other considering supporting this feature?