metty's blog

Developers? Developers!

Looking for new IM software (MSN Messenger refuses to work w/o upgrading)

It happened last week or so: "MSN Messenger" popped up a window telling me there's an update. I didn't want one, as the all of the previous updates I downloaded introduced more and more advertisement-orientated tabs to the software and reduced functionality rather than enhancing it. Additionally, the update's new features described on the product website looked meaningless, if not ridiculous.

I can currently no longer log into the Microsoft Directory for MSN Messenger using my current version 6.2.sth of MSN Messenger. As I have learned by researching the MSN Messenger problem (why on earth do I have to do that on my own?), I have been running software exposing my infrastructure to security risks (published to a broad public by Microsoft) for at least one week without getting to know about the security flaws in MSN Messenger.

What joy.

To make things even worse, I am now being forced to download an update if I want to continue using MSN Messenger. That is after having been exposed to known and even communicated security flaws for quite a while. I do feel irritated about who decides what regarding MSN Messenger.

Perhaps it's only me, but that does remind me we do urgently need strong competitors in this industry.

Comments

Stefano Demiliani said:

Yes, this upgrade is forced because it's a critical security fix. You can read more about it on the last Microsoft Security Bulletin MS05-009.
# February 15, 2005 4:21 PM

Metty said:

Stefano, thanks for pointing me there.

I'm asking myself why Microsoft do not point us there themselves. There should be a reason they reserve the right to contact you individually in the MSN Messenger EULA.
# February 15, 2005 4:31 PM

Pete Freitag said:

You could try Gaim: http://gaim.sourceforge.net/
# February 15, 2005 5:32 PM

jayson knight said:

I personally use Trillian (love it), I posted a blurb about it here: http://zerotrilogy.gotdns.com/jaysonblog/archive/2004/12/19/674.aspx

cheers.
# February 15, 2005 5:58 PM

Null said:

Miranda is another really nice alternative: http://www.miranda-im.org/
# February 15, 2005 6:28 PM

weblogs.asp.net said:

373473.. Very nice :)

# June 20, 2011 7:02 AM
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