Bye bye MSN network

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
70,583
13,805
126
www.anyf.ca
I knew this was coming, but now it's official. MSN Messenger network is no more. Just got an error in pidgin that it can no longer connect to the server. Had so many friends on there, all gone. TBH I barely ever talked to any of them anyway. :p The ones I do talk to, we just switched to using Facebook chat (which also works in pidgen).
 

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
70,583
13,805
126
www.anyf.ca
Video chat is not a replacement for standard chat, especially on low bandwidth. Rather have all chat networks in one app such as pidgin, easier to manage. The actual MSN client was a real POS, I switched to Pidgin a long time ago and never looked back.

Got Facebook chat working in there now so it's all good.
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
60,056
10,545
126
Skype, facebook, MSN... All hostile networks that spy on it's users, and turn communications over to third parties. Their use is expected from the masses because they don't know any better, but I'd expect better from people familiar with technology. There's several secure choices, and technologists should be testing them out, and advocating the best of them to their friends and acquaintances.

You wouldn't tolerate the telco listening to your phone calls, or the post office opening and reading your mail, so I don't know why the internet is considered a free for all where all privacy, and human rights get thrown out the window.
 

Megatomic

Lifer
Nov 9, 2000
20,127
6
81
Skype, facebook, MSN... All hostile networks that spy on it's users, and turn communications over to third parties. Their use is expected from the masses because they don't know any better, but I'd expect better from people familiar with technology. There's several secure choices, and technologists should be testing them out, and advocating the best of them to their friends and acquaintances.

You wouldn't tolerate the telco listening to your phone calls, or the post office opening and reading your mail, so I don't know why the internet is considered a free for all where all privacy, and human rights get thrown out the window.
Get real, our mothers and non-techie friends are not going to use nonstandard messaging applications/protocols to talk to us. It would be nice if we could avoid the snooping, I do admit that. But this is just not a feasible choice for the masses.
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
60,056
10,545
126
Get real, our mothers and non-techie friends are not going to use nonstandard messaging applications/protocols to talk to us. It would be nice if we could avoid the snooping, I do admit that. But this is just not a feasible choice for the masses.

Nonsense. People learned how to use facebook, and they can learn something else. It's the technologist's duty to instruct others, give guidance, and lead by example. You don't win the game by forfeiting.
 

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
70,583
13,805
126
www.anyf.ca
Skype, facebook, MSN... All hostile networks that spy on it's users, and turn communications over to third parties. Their use is expected from the masses because they don't know any better, but I'd expect better from people familiar with technology. There's several secure choices, and technologists should be testing them out, and advocating the best of them to their friends and acquaintances.

You wouldn't tolerate the telco listening to your phone calls, or the post office opening and reading your mail, so I don't know why the internet is considered a free for all where all privacy, and human rights get thrown out the window.

Yeah Facebook was the quickest thing to swap to as my friend got hit with the MSN discontinuation months ago, but I definitely want to switch off Facebook eventually. Not that we talk about anything private, but it's the principle behind it that's wrong. I might even just setup my own XMPP server once I revamp my sites into a common authentication system. I don't think it would be hard to set up, but did not look into it yet. I don't have that many people I talk to on chat anyway so the few that do I can just get them to make an account. The nice thing about this chat prototcol is that it's standard so you don't need a specific program for it, like you would with skype.
 

ultimatebob

Lifer
Jul 1, 2001
25,134
2,450
126
Nonsense. People learned how to use facebook, and they can learn something else. It's the technologist's duty to instruct others, give guidance, and lead by example. You don't win the game by forfeiting.

So, what do you use to chat with your non techie friends? You know... the ones who can't figure out how to install software on their computer without adding half a dozen browser toolbars :)
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
60,056
10,545
126
So, what do you use to chat with your non techie friends? You know... the ones who can't figure out how to install software on their computer without adding half a dozen browser toolbars :)

I don't have friends :^(

If I managed to find one, I'd suggest using XMPP, and Pidgin. dukgo.com has a server setup for something quick. For something a bit more involved, I like the looks of Retroshare. Setup doesn't look especially difficult. About on par with buying software from a store and installing it, and the privacy/security looks pretty solid.
 

taq8ojh

Golden Member
Mar 2, 2013
1,296
1
81
lol you still use that? I didn't use my ICQ in last 5 years for sure.
Skype is shit compared to msn really.
I think ICQ never was too used in America, but a lot more in Europe.
And yes, it's userbase dropped to virtually nonexistant levels in last few years.
I don't understand why though. It has everything you need for IMing.

MSN was the biggest pile of bullshit I ever saw. I wouldn't be afraid to call it bloatware, lol. And the way it worked was just horrible. Just the inability to delete contats :D That cracked me up.
 

OVerLoRDI

Diamond Member
Jan 22, 2006
5,490
4
81
I miss the days of IM. Facebook chat isn't nearly as cool for some reason.

I still regularly sign in to Trillian (AIM, ICQ, MSN). I hardly ever see anyone on anymore.