The Long Road

09/07/2005 Archived Entry: "I want six!"

I hate, HATE, HATE MSN Messenger 7. It is the epitome of everything that is wrong with Microsoft. The thing is overblown and crammed to the brim with "features" and buttons and pictures and options that "chatting" seems like its tertiary function.

The chat window now not only has a "send" button but also a search! The send button by itself was already superfluous like a third nipple (who doesn't just press enter?) but yo clutter the little chat window with yet another button -> stuppendously annoying. In addition to havin ads run at the bottom of the main window, we have to also put up with them in each chat window now!

And then the main window o.O
As if leaving a "msg" for people on your contact list is now a feature. It'll only lead to gross misuse like when someone's name is "*name*XXXXX dinner at my place on saturday!*/name* *msg*Dave, msg me when you're only so we can discuss which pictures to keep and which to trash, or just call me at 555-5555*/msg*. I mean, I have to stretch the window all the way across my 1600x1200 screen to see that full thing! There's not only an email alert but also a button to get to msn/spaces and the ability to see everyone's avatar in the main window. It makes it so cluttered! I hate it, I want six back!

Lets not even talk about the fact that the stupid thing takes up over TWENTY MEGS of memory!! FRIG, windows 3.1 ran on something like 2!

Although I have a lot of issues with Gtalk (which is still in beta, anwyays), it at least resembles what I want it to - "a box to chat in".

Replies: 9 comments

i remember a few years ago when i left icq for msn for exactly the same reasons...

Posted by et_god @ 09/07/2005 06:53 PM EST

yup, and now we leave MSN for Gtalk...

Posted by Sat @ 09/08/2005 09:30 PM EST

A friend of mine still uses ICQ, and it honest to god is a thousand times worse now than when I left it. Not to mention the fact that their emoticons are the ugliest things ever!

Posted by Rayne @ 09/09/2005 01:53 AM EST

That's the reason I left MSN for adium. You can customize it to do anything you like and take out all the garbage you don't want. When someone tries to send my some garbage thing from the new MSN it just says I can't see it and I'm happy about it. I can't thank Joe enough for recommending it.

Posted by Mike @ 09/09/2005 08:48 AM EST

part of that is of course because you can't send messages over MSN to offline people. ICQ could so you would send a message that they would receive when they next log in. So stupid users made do wth their stupid names...

just use a different client and have one client for all IM networks.

gaim has a windows client and works reasonably well.

Posted by sbdep @ 09/09/2005 03:50 PM EST

1920x1200, pwn! :)

Posted by Dave @ 09/09/2005 03:56 PM EST

I'd still use ICQ if anyone else did.. Sure it got bloated and ugly.. but.. invisible mode + offline messaging. Never forget.

Posted by Zamir @ 09/10/2005 07:21 AM EST

i also liked watching ppl type on icq. it was fun. you could say something to someone and then make it disappear ... to make it appear as only a figment of their imagination.

Posted by melpie @ 09/12/2005 12:31 PM EST

The best part of icq was the typing sound. Love that. although, it's funny when your keyboard clicks AND your speakers make the keyboard sound. ah well.

Posted by Rayne @ 09/22/2005 07:05 PM EST