Some years ago, Google started a cooperation with AOL, so that users of the chat software Google Talk could also establish a connection to their friends in AOL Instant Messenger (AIM). Now, this integration has been enhanced.

It has always been possible to chat with your AIM buddies directly from Gmail, but you needed your own AOL network account for this feature. You don’t need such anymore — AIM contacts can be added directly. This feature is not only supported by Gmail, but also by iGoogle, Orkut and Gtalk on Android smartphones. This works from AIM’s end as well: you can add Google users with their mail address.

As consequence of this new enhancement, the Google developers have removed the possibility to enter your AIM account at Google Talk. AOL has developed a little tool to make it easier for you to add your chat buddies in Google Talk.

Google Talk is based on the open XMPP protocol. Google has added VoIP functionality called Jingle. The service can be used with any chat programs, as long as they support the XMPP protocol.

We immediately requested that the credentials be removed and launched an investigation to determine the impact to customers. As part of that investigation, we determined that this was not a breach of internal Microsoft data and initiated our standard process of working to help customers regain control of their accounts.

On October 1, data sets of customers whose e-mail addresses start with A or B had been published on pastebin.com, a service storing any kind of text snippets. According to Microsoft, the data are like to have been stolen with a widespread phishing attack. In the meantime, the Windows Live team has locked access to all compromised accounts, whose domains ended in hotmail.com, msn.com and live.com.

Make your Windows Live Hotmail account safe

If your account has been locked by Microsoft to prevent abuse, follow these simple steps to unlock it:

1. Open the site https://support.live.com/eform.aspx?productKey=wlidvalidation&ct=eformcs&scrx=1.
2. Fill in the form as accurately as possible, then submit it.

What to think about

• Make sure to renew your Hotmail password every 90 days. I will write a step-by-step guide about this shortly.
• You cannot find out whether a contact of yours has blocked you in Windows Live Messenger. Sites and services claiming to be able to tell you this are fake and were only created to steal your Windows Live password.
• Enter your Windows Live password only on websites when the URL starts with “https://login.live.com/” and is marked by a valid security certificate.
• Install and keep your anti-virus software up-to-date, e.g. by using Microsoft Security Essentials.
• If you use the same password for other services, too (not recommended anyways!), change it there.

http://settings.messenger.live.com/applications/WebSettings.aspx

Windows Live Messenger Web Settings

However, that means that the chat window on your website won’t work anymore.

Source: http://messengermaximal.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!40F43EC9BA81D814!7562.entry

mynetx: Angus, ich freue mich, mit dir über Windows Live zu reden! Erzähl mir doch ein wenig über dich. Wie wirkt sich Windows Live auf dein tägliches Leben aus?

Angus Logan: Wo soll ich anfangen… Ich bin Australier, lebe aber in den USA. Ich bin meistens in Seattle, doch ich reise auch viel. An den meisten Tagen arbeite ich mit den Entwicklern und Programm-Managern, oder unterhalte mich mit Kunden, damit wir auf jeden Fall die richtige Plattform schaffen, mit der Websites sich an Windows Live-Nutzer anschließen können.

mynetx: Als Technischer Produktleiter ermöglichst du es Websites, sich an die 500 Millionen Menschen anzuschließen, die Windows Live nutzen, sagst du. Ist das eine befriedigende Arbeit, noch dazu spannend?

Angus Logan: Mit einigen der weltgrößten Websites zusammenzuarbeiten, um sie mit bis zu 500 Millionen Menschen zu verbinden, ist ziemlich cool. Eine Killerfunktion und – bam! –, 500 Millionen freuen sich ein wenig mehr, das Internet zu benutzen.

mynetx: Viele Leute kennen dich, doch ich denke, das war vor einiger Zeit noch nicht so. Seit wann bist du im Windows Live-Geschäft? Erzähl mir doch ein wenig über deine Vergangenheit.

Angus Logan: In Australien hab ich für einige Microsoft-Partner und ein junges Unternehmen gearbeitet. Ich war ein Microsoft-MVP für Content Management Server, und das hat mir irgendwie eine Arbeitsstelle im technischen Vertrieb bei Microsoft Australien verschafft. Nachdem ich das einige Jahre getan hatte, entschied ich mich, meinen Blick auf Websites weg von der CMS-Infrastruktur, hin zu sozialen Plattformen zu wenden – das war vor ungefähr 2 Jahren.

mynetx: Denkst du, dass das Windows Live-Team, einschließlich dir selbst, sich um die Fragen der Nutzer kümmert? Warum?

Angus Logan: Mir ist noch nicht ein einziges Team bei Microsoft begegnet, das nicht ständig sein Augenmerk auf Kunden richtet (in diesem Fall, auf die 500 Millionen Menschen, die Windows Live nutzen). Wir müssen immer mit den Endbenutzern reden, denn wenn du jeden Tag innerhalb einer Softwarefirma an einem Produkt arbeitest – du hast dann einfach einen bestimmten Blickwinkel. Wir müssen unsere Gedanken immer testen, und Ideen sammeln, um Killerprodukte für „normale Leute“ zu schaffen (nicht nur für Technikbegeisterte).

mynetx: Wo siehst du Windows Live innerhalb der nächsten fünf Jahre?

Angus Logan: Es wird immer einfacher für mehr Menschen, zu kommunizieren, sich mitzuteilen und ihr Leben zu synchronisieren.

mynetx: Läuft Messenger bei dir permanent? Hast du eine Art Routine mit Messenger und den anderen Elementen, die Windows Live ausmachen?

Angus Logan: Das alles ist solch ein Teil meines Lebens, dass ich keine Routine habe – es ist einfach da. Ich nutze Messenger zum Arbeiten, ich nutze ihn zum Spielen, ich nutze ihn, um Leute zu finden mit denen ich mich zum Mittagessen verabrede, ich wache auf und schaue nach, ob ich nachts irgendwelche Nachrichten erhalten habe, ich lese die persönlichen Statusnachrichten meiner Freunde, und während ich mit Leuten chatte, … halte ich nach anderen Leuten Ausschau, mit denen ich chatten könnte.

mynetx: Wie groß ist der Markt für Web-Messenger – und welche Rolle spielt dabei das Messenger Web Toolkit?

Angus Logan: Das Web Toolkit bietet einen Weg, mit dem Messenger-Nutzer sich auf anderen Websites mit ihren Freunden verbinden können. Die Markt-Gelegenheit ist so groß! Jeder, der Sofortnachrichten nutzt, ist ein potenzieller Nutzer für Web-Messenger. Ich denke, dass Web-Messenger zusätzlich zu einem „normalen“ Messenger-Client genutzt werden müssen, sonst ist das Erlebnis nicht gut genug (z.B. Benachrichtigungen unten rechts).

mynetx: Wenn du deine Fantasie benutzt: wie denkst du, sieht Messenger in den nächsten fünf Jahren aus? Welche neuen Funktionen könne er anbieten?

Angus Logan: Er ist in den letzten 10 Jahren so weit gekommen, wenn ich versuche mir vorzustellen, was in den nächsten 10 Jahren passiert, bekomme ich Kopfschmerzen. Alles was ich weiß ist, dass du dich damit immer noch mit den Menschen in Verbindung setzen kannst, die dir wichtig sind.

mynetx: Wenn man diese Ideen mit den aktuellen Funktionen von Messenger vergleicht, welche könnten in der nächsten Version, Wave 4, eingefügt werden?

Angus Logan: Guter Versuch . Du weißt, ich kann nicht über die Zukunft sprechen.

mynetx: Bist du zufrieden mit den Windows Live-Diensten, die dir zur Verfügung stehen? Warum?

Angus Logan: Obwohl ich mehr als zufrieden bin, denke ich, es gibt immer Bereiche, in denen wir weiterhin wachsen und innovativ sein können.

mynetx: Welches ist deine Lieblingsfunktion in Messenger?

Angus Logan: Dass ich Emoticons eigene Videos von mir zuweisen kann (dynamische Anzeigebilder). Das ist soooo genial (und macht Spaß!).

mynetx: Live Mesh – was war dein erster Eindruck davon? Siehst du darin Wege, wie man diesen Cloud-Dienst mit Messenger und den anderen Essentials verbinden kann?

Angus Logan: Live Mesh hat mich schon immer beeindruckt, und noch mehr hat es die zugrunde liegende Plattform, das Live Framework, das den Erfindungsreichtum von Entwicklern regelrecht beflügelt hat.

mynetx: Ist das Einstellen von Windows Live Events der erste Schritt in Richtung des Mottos von Wave 4, „Einfacher! Verbundener!“?

Angus Logan: Ich arbeite nicht an Events, doch lies bitte auch: http://windowslivewire.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!2F7EB29B42641D59!41244.entry.

mynetx: Wünschst du dir, dass Messenger eine Funktion hätte, die es in einem anderen Sofortnachrichten-Programm schon gibt?

Angus Logan: Ja, das wird sich jetzt etwas hochgeschraubt an, aber… in Office Communicator wird dein Status automatisch aktualisiert, abhängig von den Terminen in deinem Kalender, und er sagt deinen Kontakten, wie lange du noch beschäftigt bist. Das wäre so cool. Vielleicht sollte man es ein wenig mehr auf den Endbenutzer abstimmen, zum Beispiel, wenn du dir gerade eine TV-Serie auf Hulu ansiehst, könnten deine Kontakte darüber informiert werden, dass du in 15 Minuten wieder verfügbar bist (wenn die Folge zuende ist).

mynetx: Ich bin mir sicher, du hast von dem Aprilscherz gehört, den ich dieses Jahr machte, als ich über „mehr Chat-Netzwerke für Windows Live“ sprach. Wie viel von dieser Vision könnte sich bewahrheiten, laut deiner persönlichen Meinung?

Angus Logan: Ich möchte über die Zukunft nicht spekulieren.

mynetx: Was denkst du persönlich: werden separate Chat-Netzwerke weiterhin mit eigenständigen Protokollen existieren, oder ist es wahrscheinlich, dass diese ebenfalls standardisiert und verknüpft werden, wie bei so vielen anderen Dingen im Computer?

Angus Logan: Lass uns das von einem anderen Blickpunkt betrachten – des Erlebnisses für den Benutzer. Wenn wir mal die 3 größten Sofortnachrichten-Netzwerke herausgreifen, Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, AIM. Sicher, diese 3 nutzen verschiedene Protokolle, doch weißt du was – das interessiert den Endbenutzer überhaupt nicht. Die Leute interessiert nur: „Cool, ich kann von Windows Live Messenger aus mit meinem Freund chatten, der Yahoo! Messenger nutzt“. Also, ja, ich denke, es wird immer unterschiedliche Netzwerke geben. Werden die Protokolle zusammengeführt (zum Beispiel XMPP)? Ich bin mir nicht sicher.

mynetx: Als Messenger-Nutzer hast du bestimmt einen guten Tipp, von dem noch nicht jeder weiß, oder?

Angus Logan: Mein bester Tipp ist, ein IM-Control aufsetzen und dann eine TinyUrl einrichten, zum Beispiel: http://tinyurl.com/talktoangus (das ist nur ein Beispiel) – dann kannst du jemand, ja einfach sagen tinyurl.com/talktoangus.

mynetx: Und schließlich, arbeitest du gerade an irgendeinem Projekt, das mit Windows Live zu tun hat?

Angus Logan: Ich arbeite immer an Projekten in Verbindung mit der Windows Live-Plattform, und unterhalte mich mit vielen Kunden über das, was sie haben möchten, was funktionieren könnte und was nicht.

mynetx: Vielen Dank für deine Zeit, und dass du uns an deiner Meinung teilhaben lässt!

Angus Logan: Gern geschehen!

Mit Angus reden

Du möchtest dich mit Angus unterhalten? Es gibt verschiedene Wege, ihn (auf Englisch) zu erreichen:

• Angus Logans Blog bei MSDN lesen
• Ihm auf Twitter folgen
• Mit Angus direkt vom Web chatten

mynetx: Please tell me a bit about yourself. Is your life directly or indirectly involved with Windows Live?

Lance: I go by the name of Salem. I’m 22 right now, originally from South Africa (the country, not Southern Africa); however I am currently residing in the Cambridgeshire in the UK. My life doesn’t directly involve Windows Live actually—in fact, I consider myself rather new to the whole MSN/Windows Live community.

mynetx: New? Since when are you in the Live business? Tell me a bit about your history with it…

Lance: Okay, maybe not “New”; I just see myself as new to the whole community when I compare how long some people have been involved. I first started using MSN software in 2003 when I first moved to the UK from South Africa. As can be expected, the first MSN software application I used was MSN Messenger, that’s when I first became a regular user at least. I tried a couple of times before that back in South Africa to chat to my relatives in the UK, but due to terrible internet access (high cost and unreliable) I was only ever able to sign-in twice. (OK, maybe it wasn’t a South Africa-wide internet issue, maybe just our budget ISP. [laughes])

But yeah, I really got into it in 2003. Don’t ask me what version I used, I can’t remember if it was MSN Messenger 6.2 or 6.5, but somewhere around there. I applied to take part in MSN Messenger Beta testing (thinking I’d never get in) back in, I think, 2004. To my surprise, I got in…

mynetx: Do you think the Windows Live team cares for their users’ demands? Why?

Lance: I think people (Messenger users) can be very demanding. Well, Windows Live users can, too; but I’m saying Messenger users as it is by far the most used Windows Live product. Users can be very demanding: wanting things, and expecting to get a feature, just because they ask for it. Yet again, it can be kind of frustrating when specific suggestions/demands get made over and over and over again, and they are just dismissed by the developers.

I think it is easy for the casual users to demand things and not fully understanding the behind-the-scenes work that needs to be done to satisfy that demand.

mynetx: What might be the motivation behind dismissing user’s suggestions, especially when they are made really frequently (example: tabs)?

Lance: Haha, yes, tabs was one of the suggestions I was thinking about. I honestly don’t know, but I think the most likely reason would be, as I mentioned before, the scale of the work involved in getting it to work. However, considering that even a third-party developer (like Patchou) can get it working well enough in an add-on, surely Microsoft can get it working in their own software.

mynetx: Well, the Messenger Plus! creator, Patchou, is just one person and is able to implement it…

Lance: Yes, it is certainly possible. I think of the most frequent suggestions, tabs would be one of the easiest to reliably implement (compared to something like polygamy, the ability to sign-in to multiple accounts from one client).

mynetx: Use your fantasy: how do you think Messenger will look like within the next five years? What new features could it present?

Lance: Wow, really difficult question! I would like to see Silverlight/WPF used more. I mean it is Microsoft’s own technology, yet they are not using it.

mynetx: Like in the Twitter desktop client “blu”, you mean?

Lance: I have not heard of blu myself, will need to look it up!

mynetx:

Lance: I just mean, Messenger needs a total visual overhaul. I like the different look they introduced in the first beta of the renamed Messenger (from MSN to Windows Live), the orange one. I think many people complained at first about it because it was so “different” (people don’t like changes) so Microsoft reverted back to a GUI similar to previous versions.

View Full Album

mynetx: Wasn’t Wave 3 (2009) visually overhauled enough?

Lance: Apart from the new colors etc., there is not that much difference in Windows Live Messenger from MSN Messenger 6.x. Maybe I’m wanting to much but: think of the visual overhaul from Windows 9x to Windows XP, XP to Vista, and Vista to Windows 7—big changes, not these minor “tweaks” we are getting.

mynetx: I see… Apart from the user interface, what new features could Messenger present in five years?

Lance: Well… I don’t know what it could have, but I do know some things I’d like to see. Among the top items on my wish list are (in no particular order):

1. Official Polygamy Support — The ability to sign-in to multiple Messenger accounts from one Windows Live Messenger client, and have separate statuses/personal status messages/display names/display pictures for each account.
2. Tabs (although this can be done in add-ons like Messenger Plus! Live, so not that important to me).
3. Multi-party audio (or even better, video) chats.
4. The ability to export your whole WLM Contact List including the structure (groups, categories, favorites etc.). It’s a real pain when you try and migrate to a new account, as you can now only export and import the contacts, you then have to manually re-sort them in the new account.

mynetx: True, I have recently experienced the need for that, when I changed my Live ID.

Lance: It has taken me 2 years to migrate to a new account for this very reason. I just cant resort/rearrange them all; it’s a pain.

Oh, and “Bring back the MSN video carousel in the UK”, lol.

mynetx: I have always wondered that the “Video Carousel” was in 8.5? *-)

Lance: We had it in the UK when it was introduced in Windows Live Messenger, but it did not last long. It is gone now…

In fact I don’t even know if it made it past WLM 8’s beta.

mynetx: Any bugs that need fixing?

Lance: Yes, here is a “bug” I want fixed: Try adding a Yahoo! contact to your contact list (a localized one, not Yahoo.com) as a buddy. Messenger changes it to Yahoo.com even though you enter the localized one (in my case, Yahoo.co.uk). Thus, you cant add Yahoo! Messenger users who have a localized Yahoo address to your contact list. I have requested this a number of times, still not fixed.

Suggestion No. 2: Get rid of the bloody roll-over flash ads in the contact list! (That’s not a “feature” though.)

mynetx: Interoperability with other IM networks is a great field to improve, in my opinion. Yahoo looks like “hacked” into Messenger, instead of implemented correctly…

Lance: Yes, they need to add support for other Chat / instant messaging clients / protocols: Facebook Chat (as they have a stake in Facebook), definitely Jabber support please. Jabber is an open protocol, so an agreement should not be needed. I could then dump Google Talk for chatting to my MXit contacts.

mynetx: A propos Yahoo, what is your opinion on the final deal to use the Bing engine on Yahoo! websites, after all those never-ending ramblings about a cooperation, search deal, whatsoever?

Lance: Well, Microsoft needs to do something especially in search/online advertising, as Google is way ahead in market share.

mynetx: How does Bing relate?

Lance: I have tried Bing a few times. It is definitely much better than MSN Search/Windows Live Search/Live Search (whatever the last time was, lol). It also seems to be improving Microsoft’s market share. Though, I am wondering if this is because people like it, or if people are just “trying it out” as it is new—only time will tell.

mynetx: Mentioning the word “Butterfly”, what comes into your mind?

Lance: A colorful insect that flies!

mynetx: And adding “Windows Live…”?

Lance: Ahh, lol, I knew what you meant.

mynetx: What comes into your mind? What was so special about this group of exclusive people?

Lance: The Windows Live Butterfly program/group goes way back to the MSN days (hence the groups name being “Butterfly”). It was a group of beta testers who have “excelled” in Beta testing Windows Live products. Participants of the group were chosen by Microsoft and in some cases by those who were already butterflies from testers of Windows Live (and previously MSN) products/services. The group had a private discussion “area” on the Microsoft newsgroups. That’s just one of the benefits of being a member of the group. You can think of it as something similar to the MVP program, although only for MSN/Windows Live products, and lower down the hierarchy.

mynetx: Did you like being a butterfly?

Lance: I certainly did enjoy most of my time being a butterfly. It was a really good experience, not only testing, but also socializing and getting to know those with similar interests as yourself. As with any “cyber-community”, the group had its ups and downs but generally it was a good experience. It’s a shame to see the community go!

I think also what made the community so good was the way main person who managed it as he really helped things out.

mynetx: Let’s bring out a toast on Eric Chen!

Lance: Haha indeed.

mynetx: Please provide two positive and negative comments about any outstanding Windows Live product.

Lance: Hm… I choose Windows Live Mail.

Positives: Contact list/Address book synchronized with Live Messenger—that is my main reason for choosing it over other applications.

Negative: Slow (!), especially in IMAP mail downloading; furthermore it can only synchronize/use Contact list of one Windows Live ID even if you add a different Windows Live ID as account to Live Mail.

— Look how easy it was to think of negatives, and how hard it was to think of positives: it makes Live Mail not look good at all…

mynetx: OK, thanks for these.

Let’s talk a bit about your personal customs. Do you run Windows Live Messenger 24/7? Do you have some kind of a routine with Messenger and the other parts of Windows Live?

Lance: Yes, Windows Live Messenger is on 24/7—as long a PC is on it is running and signed in. Routine? Not really. I usually check if any people I chat to often are online (Messenger Plus! Live Desktop Contacts), see if I want to talk to them. I may then open Live Mail, but as it doesn’t auto-run on startup/login nor auto-run in system tray, I have to do this manually, so I often forget. However, as these are the Windows Live applications I use most, that is usually the order I would do things.

mynetx: Comparing your ideas we talked about before (like UI enhancements, tabs, multiple accounts per endpoint, more IM networks, etc), with Messenger’s current features, which of these might be added in the next release, Wave 4?

Lance: I think more IM network interoperability may be the most likely, especially as we heard rumblings about it for this version (although unconfirmed). Like I said also, Jabber could come as it is an open standard and wouldn’t need any agreements (as with other IMs like AIM).

I’d say UI change is next—but not likely. (Again, by UI change I mean a big change, not minor tweaks/changes.) Tabs would be next, and polygamy last, as I foresee this to be more work.

mynetx: Are you satisfied with the Windows Live services that are provided to you? Why?

Lance: Mostly yes. They just satisfy my communications needs, whether it be IM, social networking or e-mail. They are things I think that can be worked on (as mentioned earlier); but yes, overall I am satisfied.

mynetx: Will Windows Live be able to fill the position as overall Windows (and Office) add-on, especially when looking at Windows 7?

Lance: I think so, it is a good suite of applications for the average computer user. I think it would be better to be just integrated with Windows, but the European Union will not be happy.

mynetx: Windows Live and Office Live, along with cloud power in behind—is this the solution? Better than legacy software?

Lance: That depends on the market, in my opinion. In markets where a decent (that is, broadband) Internet connection is easily available/accessible, it is good; but otherwise it isn’t, no. I think people in Europe/the US forget about computer users in places without broadband Internet connections, not to mention those with no Internet at all.

mynetx: So, is the gap between industry lands (high-tech nations) and economically less strong areas increasing?

Lance: I don’t know whether it is increasing, but I don’t think it’s getting smaller. Take my home country for example, South Africa. Broadband Internet (ADSL) access has only become available to the general public (that is, not business) in the last 3-4 years. Here though (in the UK), it was already very common. Now, in South Africa citizens can get a broadband connection, but at a price: for example, they pay the ISP and phone line (as we do), but they also pay a charge for the phone line to be used for broadband/ADSL. So it costs at least three times as much there, plus they still have ridiculous caps/quotas making only basic net usage possible; whereas here, we are using it for much more. Just imagine cloud computing in places like that…

mynetx: To summarize: using cloud web applications is problematic for regions where no broadband web access is available.

Lance: Exactly! I’m all for it, but I wouldn’t want everything to go “to the cloud” soon as it will leave such nations behind.

mynetx: What is your favorite feature in Messenger?

Lance: Video chat is got to be.

mynetx: Why?

Lance: Being someone that lives in a different country than family and friends he grew up with, it’s good to be able to see and hear them.

mynetx: What was your first impression of Live Mesh? Could it be a new diverse method of file sharing among peers, or could it improve the current system at hand?

Lance: I loved it as soon as I tried it, and I am using it all the time now. It is what Windows Live Messenger Sharing Folders should have been. Well, apparently Mesh is intended to be more than just a file sharing service. I’m yet to see the others though, but it makes file sharing/synchronization available to the masses, for free.

mynetx: We can expect some Mesh love in Windows Live Wave 4, as it will play an important role in the upcoming “Windows Live Devices” service. How could it be connected tighter with the other services? What might we see?

Lance: No idea actually; though, I am excited and looking forward to see what they have planned.

mynetx: Me too. I will tell you as soon as I know more details…

Lance: It looks like Wave 4 will be a better release than Wave 3 (I honestly wasn’t happy with Wave 3 at all.)

mynetx: What was wrong or missing in Wave 3, the 2008-2009 release of Windows Live?

Lance: The beta ran extremely long to me—too long for what we saw as changes. Sure, Movie Maker joined Windows Live; but apart from that and minor visual changes, there wasn’t much. I don’t know, maybe I just expected too much.

mynetx: Do you wish Messenger would have a feature that a third-party IM software already has?

Lance: Well, I don’t use any other IM apps (apart from Google Talk, which is crap considering its features; the only reason I use it is for communicating with MXit people), so I don’t really know what other IM applications offer.

mynetx: Ahh, so you are a loyal Windows Live user?

Lance: (laughes) Not loyal; there is just no real need to use anything else. Most of my contacts are on WLM or Skype, but Skype doesn’t offer anything different that I want in Messenger.

mynetx: As Messenger user, I’m sure you’ve got a good tip that not everybody might know about yet—any tweak, counsel, suggestion, whatever comes into your mind.

Lance: One good tip is allowing two WLM instances to run at the same time. It is a registry setting that needs modifying; the only thing is it won’t auto sign-in to a second account (Live ID). [Read more about this tip soon.]

mynetx: How would you summarize your overall experience with Windows Live in a brief sentence?

Lance: Windows Live services help me keep in touch and share my views/stories.

mynetx: Lance, I found it very interesting to talk with you about all of this!

Lance: I enjoyed it too; thanks for thinking of me as some to interview and for taking the time to do so.

Thanks to thirteen23 labs, Alto Voltaje Design, Bram Vandeperre, Messenger Stuff, BuddyFuse and LiveSino for the images.

Messaging spam, sometimes called SPIM, is a type of spam targeting users of instant messaging (IM) services. SPIM is more than just an annoyance. It’s a serious threat to online privacy and security. SPIM campaigns that employ phishing tactics to get your account information can put all the personal information associated with your account at risk.

Today, Microsoft has filed a civil lawsuit against several people and businesses in which they are alleged to undermine the security and privacy of Windows Live customers. This case alleges that the defendants engaged in instant messaging spam and phishing on Windows Live Messenger.

Funmobile Ltd., a Hong Kong-based company owned by brothers Christian and Henrick Heilesen, has spimmed thousands of Windows Live Messenger customers since March 2009. Customers who clicked on the link in the bogus instant messages sent by Funmobile were then “phished”— that is, asked for their IM username and password to log in, according to the complaint. Those who provided the log-in information were often redirected to an adult Web site or, in some cases, a site that claimed to be a social networking community for Windows Live Messenger users.

Meanwhile, Microsoft alleges, the defendants collected the wrongfully-obtained usernames and passwords and used them to access Microsoft’s proprietary systems and our customers’ accounts. They then “scraped” or “harvested” the contacts within each user’s account, and sent unsolicited bulk IMs to each of his or her contacts.

Protect yourself against SPIM

• Do NOT click any SPIM links you receive, but close the conversation window.
• Tell your friend that you have received SPIM from his account.
• Change your Windows Live ID password. (Change your password here.)
• Do not tell your password anybody.
• Only enter your password on a website where you see the green encryption mark in its title bar. The address should always start with “https://login.live.com”.
• Remember to sign out properly after chatting at public places.
• Check your hard disk for viruses.

Sources:
http://windowslivewire.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!2F7EB29B42641D59!41246.entry
http://microsoftontheissues.com/cs/blogs/mscorp/archive/2009/07/16/saying-no-to-spim.aspx

mynetx: I find it great that you got some minutes to talk with me about Windows Live and You.
Tell me a bit about yourself. Is your life directly or indirectly involved with Windows Live?

Frans-Willem: I’m not as much involved with Windows Live as I used to, mainly because studying and everything around that (yes, drinking and having fun) takes up a lot of time, but Windows Live Messenger is still my primary means of day-to-day communication with friends.

mynetx: How were you involved with Windows Live? What is your history, that is, how did you come to Windows Live Messenger?

Frans-Willem: Well, I don’t quite remember how I got in touch with Windows Live (or at that time MSN) Messenger. I do remember what got me started on developing though. Back in the time of Messenger 5 or 6, Patchou suddenly launched a plug-in architecture for Messenger Plus!. I’d always been interested in writing programs, but I’d never gotten round to serious development with C, mainly because command line was so incredibly boring compared to the forms that you could get with Visual Basic. But then suddenly I *could* make fun things with C. I started out with some simple code to convert text for you, e.g. leet speak, but as I kept finding out more things, I kept adding more and more stuff to my plug-in. That’s mainly how StuffPlug got it’s name: It was a plug-in without a clear goal or feature set, it was just a plug-in with all the stuff I’d written: StuffPlug.

At some point though I got better at C, and that got me into Assembler, and I started adjusting small things in Messenger to make it better fit my wishes. It started out with bigger display pictures, and then time-zone adjustable clocks as I talked with lots of people overseas, and I just “fixed” any annoyance I had with Messenger.

Nowadays however I think WLM 9 is pretty close to perfect. I don’t see an immediate need to adjust stuff, and I’m not even using Plus! anymore as the built-in logging is pretty good.

Anything else you wanted to know on that subject ? I feel I’m just rambling on now.

mynetx: Do you think the Windows Live team cares for their users’ demands? Why?

Frans-Willem: Hmmm, good question. I’m not sure. They used to be very open to the community, I remember Leah was very passionate about the blog, but these days I feel the messengersays blog is mostly just marketing. Also I’m not sure I or you still fall in their desired user-group, all they seem to be focusing on is 10 year olds obsessed with nudges, winks, sounds, and emoticons.

Although I must say that somewhere along the line some pretty nifty features snuck in, like built-in polygamy or the word wheel, that makes me feel that there are at least a few developers or Program Managers at Microsoft concerned with the actual usability

mynetx: Yahoo—Microsoft. What did you think last summer?

Frans-Willem: Well, to be honest, I was hoping that it had marked the start for more interoperability between IM networks, but I feel a bit let down. I don’t actually know anyone that uses Yahoo as their primary IM client, but when I tried it I felt like they only did the bare minimum to get people to talk to each other. I’m still waiting for interoperability between WLM and Google Talk, but I’m afraid that’s never going to happen…

mynetx: – what about Windows Live & Facebook?

Frans-Willem: Well, it’s handy that my PSM gets synched up with Facebook, but that’s about it, I guess

mynetx: Within the next five years, where could you picture Windows Live?

Frans-Willem: Hmmm, I’m not sure really. I mean, there’s a lot of things I’d *like* to see, like GTalk and WLM interoperability as I mentioned before, but for some reason Microsoft always seems to surprise me, and never seems to go the obvious routes. I mean come on, they just renamed their search engine after they pumped millions of dollars into getting a global brand name for all their online services. wtf ?

One thing I do hope though is that they’ll come up with something new for once. Instead of constantly following (e.g. Spaces after blogging, social networks just while Facebook was coming up, etc.), I’m hoping they’ll come up with something new and exciting and start leading again

mynetx: Give two positive and negative comments on any Windows Live product.

Frans-Willem: Hmm.
Positive:
- They’re really reaching out to other platforms, Yahoo, Facebook.
- Most of the products are always properly finished and polished, even the beta products just work.

Negative:
- Too much following, not enough leading.

mynetx: Do you run Windows Live Messenger 24/7? Do you have some kind of a routine with Messenger and the other parts of Windows Live?

Frans-Willem: Not 24/7, I shut down my PC at nights, but if I’m awake, my PC is on, and WLM is on Not really a routine, although I do make a point of answering all offline messages I get

mynetx: Use your fantasy: how do you think Messenger will look like within the next five years? What new features could it present?

Frans-Willem: Hmmm, well, GTalk and AIM integration for one . Not sure what else I’m missing though :/

mynetx: What about Tabbed Chatting?

Frans-Willem: Hmm, I’m good with the Vista taskbar grouping to be honest.

mynetx: Your guess for the next release, Wave 4—what might be in the oven for Windows Live Messenger 2010?

Frans-Willem: I’m hoping much more integration with other, non Windows Live, services. Seeing as they’ve only just begun with that, I think there’s a fair chance they’ll be expanding that in Wave 4.

mynetx: Services like?

Frans-Willem: Hmmm, I’m not sure if they’ll be expanding to more services. I think it’s more likely the integration they currently have will be expanded. e.g. see Facebook info in WLM instead of the other way round, automatically linking up contacts to their Facebook accounts, etc.

mynetx: Are you satisfied with the Windows Live services that are provided to you?

Frans-Willem: Hmm, yeah, in general I am

mynetx: Why?

Frans-Willem: Probably not the answer you’re looking for, but they’re all free services. Yes, they might have a few shortcomings (like ads), but it’s free, so what right do you have to complain about those ?

mynetx: Heh, good point though…
What is your favorite feature in Messenger?

Frans-Willem: Hah, that’s easy! The conversations

Seriously though, there’s lots of nice features, but in the end I use it because I can have conversations with my friends using it. If all my friends would be using AIM, I’m pretty sure I’d been using that instead. But if you really want me to pick a feature outside of chatting, I’d go for the word wheel above the contacts. With the number of people in my list that’s pretty essential

mynetx: Ever heard of Live Mesh? What was your first impression of it? Could it be a new diverse method of file sharing among peers, or could it improve the current system at hand?

Frans-Willem: Hmm, yeah, I have Live Mesh installed on both my computers. I’m not really using it though, for file sharing I usually just use a simple off-line USB-key (just bought a nice new one actually, LaCie iAmAKey, totally love it ), and for remote administration I have Remote Desktop enabled. I kind of dislike Live Mesh not being able to use a different resolution than the one I have at home apart from scaling, viewing 3200×1200 on a 15″ laptop screen doesn’t really allow me to read anything.

mynetx: So you would like to see a resolution customization like the one in Remote Desktop?

Frans-Willem: I wasn’t aware you could use it to share files with friends though, I should take a look at that. But I’m not convinced it’ll be a “new diverse method of file sharing among peers” really, I’ve heard that claim one too many times (remember Messenger shared folders?).

Hmmm, not sure I need Live Mesh actually, Remote desktop really does everything I’d want it to :-/ But then again, for people that didn’t set up a subdomain to always link to their home IP might find it more convenient to use Live Mesh

mynetx: Do you wish Messenger would have a feature that a third-party IM software already has? As add-on developer, this question might be especially interesting for you…

Frans-Willem: Hmmm, I haven’t really used any other IM applications recently, so I wouldn’t know. I did hear Pidgin does some nice things like set the window icon to the display picture of the other person

mynetx: Yes, I’ve seen that recently as well.
As Messenger user, I’m sure you’ve got a good tip that not everybody might know about yet.

Frans-Willem: Hmm, yeah. The word wheel, use it It’s so incredibly easy to just Alt-Tab to Messenger, type in whomever you’re looking for, hit Enter, and start typing immediately

mynetx: Are you working on any project related to Windows Live currently?

Frans-Willem: Hmm, yeah, LiveScratcher, but not very actively at the moment, some university deadlines coming up. I hope to be able to get some major work done in July though

mynetx: What’s it about?

Frans-Willem: Well, it’s about putting every technical trick I know about Messenger into a big library. I’m hoping I can write a framework that I can use myself to write another StuffPlug like add-on on, as well as allow other developers to use it to write theirs. It’s like Plus! scripting, but then with all of Plus!’s own features implemented in scripts too.

mynetx: That sounds exciting!

Frans-Willem: For people interested, there are some really early previews on livescratcher.com, and there’s a mailing list you can use to get in touch with me and other interested people. Mind you though, the current stuff is only for developers. So normal users beware, but developers please check it out and let me know what you think. Loads of feedback ensures that it ends up a nice platform to work with

mynetx: Down to what level, do you think, might your library reach?

Frans-Willem: Well, for now I’ve only done some DirectUI stuff, which allows you to play with Messenger’s user interface. Like remove something here, add something there, change a background or a picture. Like skinning, but then instead of replacing everything, just targeting small bits.

I intend to write a nice wrapper around all the messenger API’s, and add extra functionality like send text and data from scripts. And at the moment I’m doing some research on in-memory patching, to allow for things like removing the nudge limit. I’m hoping to expose everything I used in StuffPlug to scripting.

And as with StuffPlug, it’ll always be a work-in-progress. I do intend to keep adding new stuff I learn. But it’s set up in a very modular way, that allows me (or maybe other developers) to plug in extra parts when needed. And there’s also a way for scripts to communicate with each other, so someone might write a script that doesn’t really add any features for the user, but will expose some new functionality for other scripts to use.

mynetx: And—what about compatibility with the existing Messenger add-ons (Messenger Plus!, MessengerDiscovery, SweetIM and more)?

Frans-Willem: Hah, what kind of question is that Of course it’ll be compatible, I always put a lot of thought into that sorts of things If Patchou and Matt are ok with it, I might even add methods to communicate with Plus! and MD scripts

mynetx: How patient should we be until we see usable bits of all this appear, especially if they’re not developers? Can we get excited?

Frans-Willem: Hmmm, developers can get excited, but I’m afraid it’ll take some time before there’s something user-friendly enough for normal users. Mind you though that it’s a massive project, and I want to think through each and every aspect of it carefully to make sure it turns into a nice API, so it will take some time

mynetx: Okay — “StuffPlug 4”?

Frans-Willem: Yes, hopefully at some point My slogan while developing is
“Hmm, I wonder if I can do this better…”

mynetx: I think that’s a great thing you got in mind. Anyways, I’ve bothered you enough for now!
Thank you for spending these minutes on Windows Live and You.

Frans-Willem: You’re welcome

I might be wrong, but to me it’s another ‘company’ trying to make something never thought of before, that isn’t going to make it, and it doesn’t looks secure at all. I don’t see Opera Unite getting anywhere.

I mean, Opera is used by 1 to 3% of all the people online? And they really think that they can pull this off? More importantly, with that small sized company with no serious skills will be able to secure files etc? It’s just one big joke.

Today, Lawrence Eng, product analyst at Opera, talks about some details on what Opera Unite is designed for, why it was invented, and what it is not.

We don’t hate social networks and big-server computing. The point I tried to convey is that users should have a choice–freedom to decide how and where their data resides and is used. In some circumstances, they may choose Facebook or Flickr, but in other (equally legitimate) circumstances, they may choose to host it themselves. Opera Unite is our way of removing people’s reliance on the big datacenter solution, not because big servers are necessarily bad, but because they’re not enough.

Millions of people are comfortable with other people hosting their data, but there are also plenty of people who aren’t so comfortable, either because it’s a hassle, hard to use, or because of privacy concerns. I share photos online (Flickr, Facebook, and My Opera) but that doesn’t mean I want to share all of my “stupid digital photos” on the public web. Just today, I used Opera Unite to share some content with close friends that I wouldn’t necessarily want to put on Facebook, Flickr, etc.

When possible (depending on one’s router and the design of particular Unite services), Opera Unite supports UPnP (enabled by default) so that users can bypass Opera’s proxy service. Even when that proxy service is used, the data that passes through it is not stored by Opera.

At the end of the day, Opera Unite is still a work in progress, and we need informed, critical voices as well as enthusiastic ones to make it all work. Your feedback has been valuable, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to clarify some issues (even if some points of disagreement persist). People have always counted Opera out, but the company has been around for 15 years, and we’re going stronger than ever on multiple fronts (including the desktop). We did make ambitious statements about Opera Unite, and big claims paint a target on our back, but we think it’s better to aim high and not give up, even if we stumble a little out of the gate. Maybe I’m just an idealistic American, but I think the best is yet to come.

Did you have a look at Opera Unite yet?

More about the script and where to get it next week, when Bing is launched.

This script is not affiliated with Microsoft Corporation in any way.

mynetx: Nice that you got some minutes to talk about Windows Live and You. To get started, please describe yourself and your connection with Windows Live, in one sentence.

Dane: My name is Dane N. (sometimes referred to as Dane Smith), and I’ve been part of the Messenger Community since Messenger Plus! 2 Alpha in 2002.

mynetx: Quite a long time… Tell me a bit about your history.

Dane: In 2002 I applied to test Messenger Plus! 2 Alpha. Over the years, I’ve become obsessed with everything to do with (what was then) MSN Messenger (and now) Windows Live Messenger. The Microsoft Messaging Platform has always been my #1 Instant Messaging Service due to its ease of use and integration better than any other client into Windows. Over the years, I developed sometimes strange hobbies such as collecting new computer worms and viruses and submitting them to antivirus companies as well as working on the team of 2 startup webhosting companies and eventually starting my own, Technology Pulse. Today, I still test Messenger Plus! Live and market a product aimed to keep users in touch with contacts called WLMStatus Premium.

mynetx: So you are a Messenger tester?

Dane: Yes. I’ve been testing Messenger products for Microsoft since Version 6.0.

mynetx: Interesting. What has your experience with the testing platform Microsoft Connect, as well as getting in touch with the Windows Live team and the other beta testers, been like, up to now?

Dane: Well, back in the day we used a communication platform for testing called Beta Place. I liked this site because it wasn’t overly crowded and had just what you needed in order to test. Microsoft Connect is nice, but I think it keeps you a bit “too connected” with users and the voting system is never really used that much from what I’ve seen, it doesn’t seem like an effective platform for me. The Windows Live Team has always been easy for me to get in contact with, I have a few of them on my own personal contact list and as a Windows Live Butterfly, if I need to get in touch with someone I don’t have contact info for, I can get that information very easily. My contact list also contains mostly other Messenger Testers.

mynetx: Butterfly. Could you explain this term?

Dane: Yes. A Windows Live Butterfly is somebody who excels and goes above and beyond while testing Microsoft Windows Live products. Anyone who is recognized as a butterfly consistently provides valuable feedback to Microsoft and traditionally helps non-techie users with problems with their Windows Live Products. Windows Live Butterflies automatically gain acceptance into new Windows Live Beta Programs upon request, no application required, because as a butterfly our work is proven to be effective and useful.

mynetx: So it’s a great job you’re doing in testing Windows Live products. Is it still interesting for you, after all the time?

Dane: I’m glad you asked that. After all these years and versions, it is still interesting because even with minor releases, you see your work being put into the resulting Microsoft Products, even if its something as small as a bug fix or typo fix. Knowing that you’re contributing to making a great product even better is what makes it rewarding and fun.

mynetx: When you are going that far beyond an average Messenger user of nowadays, let’s talk about your personal habits. What part does Messenger play in your daily computer and web routine?

Dane: Messenger plays a big role in my life, online and off. You see, it’s such an important aspect of my communication that I have mobile versions of Messenger on my Apple iPhone 3G and am logged in (even if in Appear Offline status) for more than 12 hours a day usually. Right when I log onto a computer, Messenger is the first thing I check for. I sign in and catch up on messages before going anywhere else online. And when I’m done checking with the program itself, I scour the common technology news sites looking for more messenger related news.

mynetx: Hmm. “Addicted.” Sounds reasonable?

Dane: Yes. Without a doubt, it’s very important to me.

mynetx: What is your favorite feature in Messenger?

Dane: Out of the latest iterations, my favorite feature would have to be by far the Nudge function. I always hate when I’m asking someone an important question and they aren’t looking, its nice to nudge them and get that answer quicker.

mynetx: Like ringing a literal bell in front of the phone microphone?

Dane: Yes Sir. It never fails.

mynetx: . Unless people ignore nudges deliberately, lol. — However.

And what do you like most in Windows Live at all?

Dane: I only really rely upon two windows live products. Windows Live Messenger (of course), and Windows Live Hotmail Plus.

mynetx: What is the different between Hotmail and Hotmail Plus?

Dane: These days, not much. 10 GB of Mail Storage, No Account Expiration, No advertisements and File attachments up to 20 MB.

I originally purchased it for POP3, which is now part of the free hotmail.

mynetx: True—Good coup with Wave 3. Liked it?

Dane: Wave 3 is amazing. Another fine performance from the Windows Live Team.

mynetx: When Messenger is one of the two Windows Live products you rely on, I’m sure you’ve got a breaking tip for an “aha” effect. Give me a tip you consider precious.

Dane: I don’t really have a tip as much as a suggestion. Never use Windows Live Messenger without its proper counterpart, Messenger Plus! Live.

mynetx: Why?

Dane: In my opinion, Windows Live Messenger is naked without Messenger Plus! Live cause the immense amount of useful features the Messenger Plus! Live software offers. My favorite features added by the Plus! Live software but not built into Messenger include Tabbed Conversations, Quick Text Recall, and Boss Protect Mode.

mynetx: Talking about Messenger features—what is the thing you’d love most to be added to Messenger?

Dane: Native Tabbed Chatting.

mynetx: Do you think this feature will be added in Windows Live Wave 4?

Dane: I do not. I feel like this is a feature Microsoft doesn’t want to touch as of yet.

mynetx: But why?

Dane: It would require another interface adjustment, rather large, and I don’t think Wave 4 will change the interface massively this time around to prevent confusion from users.

mynetx: And finally, what’s the Live-related project you’re currently working on?

Dane: I’m continuing my work on WLMStatus Premium, which uses Messenger Plus! Live and Windows Live Messenger to deliver status information in image form to users’ websites. I’m also working on another project, but I cannot discuss that at this time.

mynetx: Any hint? (A)

Dane: Haha, nope, sorry

mynetx: Fine, then. Anyways, I found it great that you took your time to discuss your relation to Windows Live. Windows Live and You—what would your subtitle for this interview be?

Dane: “From The Beginning.” And Thank you for interviewing me.

mynetx: Sorry to steal your night, I find it good that you have some minutes nevertheless.

Picturepan2: No problem, haha.

mynetx: So, try describing yourself and your connection to Windows Live, in one sentence.

Picturepan2: I am Picturepan2, self-proclaimed Microsoft fanboy, from LiveSino.net where I blog about Windows Live and other Microsoft stuff.

mynetx: Fan-boy you say. There aren’t many such people in China, true?

Picturepan2: Yes, true.

mynetx: And how come you became a Windows Liver? Since when are you in the business? Tell me a bit about your story.

Picturepan2: I was a normal Windows Live user (or tester) since November 2005, when Windows Live was first announced. In summer 2006, I accidentally found a fatal bug which I could use to get any Windows Live Spaces users’ Windows Live IDs without tools or permissions. After that I contacted Kip at LiveSide and kept watching Windows Live until now.

By the way, I am also the LiveSide representative for China and this is why I started blogging at LiveSino.

mynetx: Ah, quite interesting.

Picturepan2: I didnt even know what Windows Live was when I found that bug.

mynetx: You’re using Windows Live Messenger since you got to know it?

Picturepan2: I think the answer is Yes. The first Windows Live Messenger I used looked cute and much more different than what it looks today.

mynetx: What version was that?

Picturepan2: Windows Live Messenger 8.0 Beta 1 in 2005 Dec.; http://livesino.net/archives/321.live.

mynetx: Do you think Messenger has improved from back in version 8.0 until today, 14.0?

Picturepan2: Hmmm. You can hardly say it has improved a lot, but I have to say some parts have.

mynetx: Like?

Picturepan2: Such as What’s New integration, user interface…

mynetx: Hmm. And what do you like most in Windows Live at all? Apart from Messenger, that is.

Picturepan2: What’s New! Actually there are some others.

mynetx: So, pick one.

Picturepan2: Windows Live ID infrastructure enables user login and using all Microsoft offerings.

mynetx: The unified login makes sign-in at Microsoft, wherever you are, easy. Right?

Picturepan2: Yes.

mynetx: What is the thing you’d love most to be added to Messenger?

Picturepan2: A Plugin platform. As you know, Messenger Plus!’s plugin platform is awesome.

I wish Windows Live Messenger could learn something from Messenger Plus!…

mynetx: Do you think the Windows Live Team is going to add support for a plugin platform in Wave 4?

Picturepan2: I don’t think so. There is still no strong reason for them to do that. lol

mynetx: So, what about your usage of Windows Live. Is Messenger always open and signed in? Maybe you’ve got kind of a daily routine with Windows Live.

Picturepan2: Yes, almost always. But I don’t use Windows Live Messenger when i am REALLY busy.

mynetx: When you’re using Messenger intensively, maybe you have a tip that not everybody knows about?

Picturepan2: I always use PhotoShare feature to show screenshots, though it is not clear enough.

To start using it, just press Print Scrn button then Ctrl+V when back to conversation window.

mynetx: Are you working on any project at the moment which is related to Windows Live?

Picturepan2: no, I am currently only blog about Windows Live and other Microsoft offerings at LiveSino.

mynetx: Any plans for LiveSino’s future?

Picturepan2: Of course, LiveSino will cover more stuff from Microsoft and other companies related to Windows Live.

mynetx: And I will be watching LiveSino for interesting news on Windows Live. Thanks for your time.

Picturepan2: You’re welcome.

Adding support for additional instant messaging networks has always been on a high place on the wish list for Windows Live Messenger. People were excited when they have to know that Microsoft and Yahoo would cooperate to allow using the networks in both company’s clients, back in 2005. People were even more excited when they learnt that the Windows Live team had not lied and integration really came true in 2006.

However, since then, not much has happened in relation to cooperation between big chat networks. Even the situation between Microsoft and Yahoo has become quite strange since last year’s happenings. For now, the latest report published on this blog as well as “Messenger Stuff” ( http://www.msgstuff.com/ ), about “New IM networks for Windows Live”, is a made-up story, as far as considering the planned cooperation of Windows Live with ICQ, AIM, Skype, Google Talk and Facebook Chat.

Microsoft landed a big coup with Windows Live Wave 3, adding social networking features and reinventing the world of Live Spaces as well as introducing new functionality like Windows Live Profile and Web Activities showing up in omnipresent “What’s New” feeds.

Sadly, implementing Facebook as a new Web Activity, something that had always been in the mind of the Windows Live Managers, took longer than expected, which is the reason why it is still not released to the public yet. From the latest news that I read, the release date for Facebook “What’s New” integration is already set internally, only not announced yet.

Adding support for all major instant messaging networks would make Windows Live Messenger the unquestionable no. 1, and we should really hope that Microsoft would finally realize exactly this. The tremendous amount of comments and enthusiasm about this news story, here in this blog as well as at the corresponding news posts at Messenger Stuff and at LiveSide, shows what Messenger users throughout the world think about such a universal Instant Messaging integration.

Dear Windows Live Team, do you see how much your users want it?

“We are currently aiming to achieve full integrative support for widely popular instant messaging networks. Therefore, we have started discussions with the back-end and front-end Developer Teams of AOL LLC, Skype Ltd and Google Inc. Furthermore, we have intensified our cooperation with Facebook Inc. for a similar purpose,” says Dharmesh Mehta, Windows Live Messenger Product Manager.

The integration of the chat networks powered by AOL, namely ICQ and AIM, has always been a big wish for Messenger users all around the world, and seems to be the continuing of what the Messenger team started when adding support for Yahoo, back in 2006. Skype integration offers interesting possibilities, such as video and voice calls right from Windows Live Call.

With Facebook, another social networking site enters the boat, and I think Microsoft is just happy about being able to continue their efforts to introduce social networking to Messenger; we have already seen the beginning of this in Wave 3 (Windows Live Profile, What’s New Feeds etc). Finally, connecting with Google opens another wide audience of Messenger users.

The current master plan for adding support for ICQ, AIM, Skype, Facebook and GTalk is Q4-2009, so it will probably make its way into Windows Live Wave 4, where ideas are currently gathered for and sorted.

“I can’t promise too much yet, but I think it’s just what Windows Live is missing currently,” states Dharmesh. “You’ll soon be able to add Facebook […] on Windows Live. This means that […], if you’re a Facebook user, you can choose to allow info and photos that you post on Facebook to show up in ‘What’s new’ for anyone in your network on Windows Live,” says Brian Hall, General Manager for Windows Live.

Adding support for all major instant messaging networks would make Windows Live Messenger the unquestionable no. 1, and it seems that Microsoft is finally realizing exactly this – if things are implemented the way they are announced.

Looking forward to hear your opinion on this!

• LiveSide.net: New IM networks for Windows Live?
• Messenger Stuff: New IM networks for Windows Live
• LiveSino.net: WL Messenger ?? AIM, ICQ, Skype, GTalk, Facebook ???
• Mess.be: Windows Live Messenger hot topic on April Fools Day 2009
• ActiveWin.com: New IM networks for Windows Live?
• Ditii.com: IM networks (ICQ, Skype, AIM, Facebook Chat and Google Talk) added to Windows Live
• WinAjuda: Novas redes a caminho do Windows Live Messenger
• TechBlips: New IM networks for Windows Live
• Windows Vista Magazine: New IM networks for Windows Live Messenger?
• SysAdmin.it: New IM networks for Windows Live?
• Vistaheads.com: New IM networks for Windows Live Messenger?
• Charged.co.za: New IM networks for Windows Live?
• Recursosvoip.com: New IM networks for Windows Live

The adware altercation

Software developer Patchou provokes fierce opinions in cyberspace. His army of fans think he’s a genius; critics say he has sold his soul for profit.

Cyril Paciullo (aka Patchou), who created Messenger Plus! Live

To some in the downtrodden kingdom of the geek, he is a messiah. To others, he is the devil incarnate. No one, it seems, divides opinion among the tribes of of cyberspace quite like Patchou. The software creator, real name Cyril Paciullo, is the man behind Messenger Plus! Live – which, he claims, has been downloaded 60m times and is particularly popular among teen­agers. An updated version is due out at the end of this month; the forum on his site boasts 80,000 members.

Patchou’s creation is an add-on to Microsoft’s hugely popular Windows Live Messenger, or MSN, the instant messaging and social networking program used by 17.5 million people in Britain alone. Patchou’s software adds dozens of extra features, such as custom sounds, colours, clever ways to manage contacts and, for the uber-geeky, the ability to program your own tweaks.

And for that Patchou’s grateful young disciples sing his praises in thousands of web forums and chatrooms. “You rock,” they gush. Such is their adulation that one admirer boasts of making a 100mph dash to Disneyland just to spend a few minutes in Patchou’s company. The acolyte proclaims: “It was really cool to meet Patchou, he’s awesome.”

But this is a man who has also outraged millions. His sin? A Faustian pact with dark forces responsible for distributing adware, those pop-up windows that torture PC users the world over. Messenger Plus! Live comes bundled with a “sponsor’s program”, which the unwary install unwittingly on their machines. They are then subjected to messages urging them to buy insurance, take out credit cards, play poker or download ringtones. To his opponents this breaks a sacred code of geek ethics and the two sides engage in furious online debates. Supporters say Patchou has provided a brilliant piece of software free to millions of people and the adware is harmless; critics call him “a scam artist making money off gullible young Live Messenger users”.

Devil in the detail

In the middle of this maelstrom sits Microsoft, which appears to have been impressed by Patchou’s work. In 2006, the software giant was moved to honour him with a Most Valuable Professional award – but the howls of protest about his links to adware led the company to withdraw it. Although the dust has settled and the adware is easier to spot and remove, online forums remain littered with the pitiful pleas of the infected driven to distraction by the unslayable sponsor program.

So who is this demi-god/devil? In fact, he is a French-born, self-confessed geek and Star Trek aficionado living in Montreal, Canada. Even his harshest critics admire his skill and industry. After all, he’s been at it since he was 14, when he first got a computer and started dabbling with programming. “I’ve always been passionate about computers,” he says.

Messenger Plus! Live started eight years ago; it’s now a full-time job.

“Back then, I was working on it part-time, during the night, while working as a software developer for a company during the day. The popularity of the software was growing so I decided it was time to do the jump.”

Much of the success is down to attention to detail, the 27-year-old insists.

“Thousands of programs are created and put online every day. Unfortunately, a majority of them are never ‘finished’, never polished. If you do something, do it well,” he says. “I now have around 60 million active users and a lot of people working for me, directly or not. About 50 people are working to translate each new version of the software into 21 different languages and 100 more give a hand for the beta tests. You have the official helpers on the main forums and people on various websites doing the promotion of the add-on.

In a given month I may be working only 20 hours a week and the following month, I’ll get up only to put myself in front of my computer screens until I go to sleep 16 hours later. The good news is I have a very nice and forgiving girlfriend.”

And he doesn’t find it easy coping with the worldwide adulation.

“Software developers tend to be geeks and, yes, geeks tend to be shy,” he says. “Still, I’ve always enjoyed our gatherings, what we call Plus! Meetings, quite a lot. It’s a nice feeling to see many people coming from many different countries and who have never met before have some fun together, speak in real life. The software is just a pretext to socialise. It’s good to see people from time to time when you spend your days and nights in front of a screen.”

The devotion surprises his critics. Another Microsoft MVP award holder, the internet security campaigner Chris Boyd, who spoke out against Patchou in 2006, says he was taken aback by the amount of vitriol poured in his direction by the software designer’s youthful army of fans. Boyd acknowledges some of Patchou’s changes have helped soothe some, if not all, of the critics, but adds: “It’s a very peculiar business model.”

There are perhaps a dozen other Live Messenger add-ons available, although none of them have Patchou’s audience. MessengerDiscovery, started four years ago by the New Zealand-based software developer Matt Holwood, adds 150 features to Live Messenger, has racked up millions of users and has a forum with more than 8,000 members. Like Patchou, it started as a part-time project but has also become a full-time job, paid for by more traditional ads on his website.

But Holwood, 21, is scathing about Patchou’s use of adware. He says:

“Personally, I think it’s wrong and greedy. You have a moral obligation not to get greedy and infect such a large amount of unsuspecting people with malware. I’m sure he lives a very luxurious lifestyle but you have to look at the big picture. Developers should fight against that sort of trash rather than distribute it. He could live very well simply from the advertising on the website. I do, and he has seven times the visitors.”

Not into temptation

In Holland, another 21-year-old, Frans-Willem Hardijzer, known as The Blasphemer, has been running StuffPlug for the past five years. He also uses ads on his site to to fund his program, which has about 250,000 users. Although he has had to fit his project around his school and university studies, and now a full-time job, he also refuses to be tempted by adware.

“Apart from the server to host the website, there isn’t that much cost to keep it running,” says Hardijzer. “In the past I’ve made enough money through the Google AdSense program to live pretty comfortably as a student. I’ve considered selling out but I simply don’t like the idea of bundling mal/spy/adware with my program like [Patchou] does. People trust me to give them quality software and I don’t like abusing that trust.”

Adware is undoubtedly profitable. Because it inhabits a murky corner of the internet linked to more malevolent forms of computer infection, no one knows exactly how much money it generates, although estimates of up to $2bn (£1.4bn) a year are bandied about. Distributors pay those who help get their software on to them a few cents each time their adware is installed or, more rarely, each time a pop-up ad is clicked.

One notorious US adware company netted a reported $149 million in four years. Another, which was eventually brought to book by US regulators, raked in a reported $80million in three years.

Messenger Plus! is connected to a little-­known company called Circle Development Ltd – which appears to be based in the Ukraine – also known as C2Media or CiD, and linked to the website Lop.com.

Installing belief

For people like Patchou there is plenty of potential to get rich. Challenged in forums by claims that at 6 cents an install, with 800,000 downloads a month, he could potentially net $48,000 (£34,000) a month, he responded:

“In case there would be some doubts, I’m still not paid by install. And so you know, C2Media doesn’t give 6 cents per install for the kind of package I have. For the record: I’m being paid by searches (and only for some of them), so I wouldn’t win a cent even if a billion users installed my sponsor tomorrow. C2Media (lop.com) is probably one of the best adware companies on the market today and that’s exactly why I continue to do my business with them: because they can be trusted.”

Graham Cluley, a senior technology consultant at Sophos, says adware is a “huge business” and some “very well-known companies” were trying to exploit the fact no one really considers what they are installing on their PCs .

“If you are a youngster, then you just press the button until the thing you want is installed,” he says. “You agree to the terms and conditions, so it’s legal. It’s human nature not to read the terms and conditions.” At best, he adds, adware is a nuisance. At worst, it can be bad for online business. “It’s not the way you want to behave on the internet. It does inflame the internet community.”

For all that, Paciullo is unrepentant.

“People who accuse me generally do not understand – or accept – that software development is not something you can finance easily these days. People don’t tend to buy software, they just download it. The idea behind an optional sponsor program is to offer a way to support the work while offering at the same time a product that’s completely free of any obligation.”

He says he may adopt the same approach for future software launches.

“It’s a win-win situation that works out pretty well.”

—Ian Pickering, The Guardian

What do you think? Adware? Malware? Software? Cool-ware? Curious to read your opinion .

One of the bits of news buried amid the Microsoft earnings and layoffs news is an organizational change involving Windows Live and Office Live.

Microsoft is merging its Windows Live and Office live properties as part of its next “Wave 4” release, according to sources claiming familiarity with Microsoft’s plans.

The combination of the Windows Live and Office Live teams/offerings is slated to be timed to happen around the time Office 14 ships (which I’ve been hearing is either end of this year or early next). Last I heard, Wave 4 of Windows Live was expected to hit around the time Windows 7 shipped, which is seeming like Q3 of this year.

Word is that Rajesh Jha, the Corporate VP who currently heads up Office Live (and, more recently, Exchange Server) development could be moved into the Windows Live organization as part of the move.

Office Live is a group of consumer- and small-business-focused services that are designed as adjuncts to Office. Products that currently fit under the “Office Live” label include Office Live Workspace, Office Live Small Business and Office Live Groove. Windows Live is a set of consumer-focused software and services that provide mail, instant messaging, blogging and various social-networking functionality.

I asked Microsoft to verify this Windows Live-Office Live merger information. So far, no word back.

Sorry for just copy-pasting this here; it’s late here and I am pretty busy at the moment (hence also why you don’t read as much from me as you’re used to), but I thought I would bring you these news as soon as possible.

Source: All About Microsoft