I've never been fond of Microsoft products... in fact, the only one that I really like is Word. I've been "forced" to use MSN Instant Messenger for about a year now, in order to collaborate with other writers for the Renaissance project that I'm a part of. I have no objections to the Messenger program in itself; there's no ads, and the speed is decent.
Of course, though, M$N requires you to sign up for (and maintain) one of their Hotmail accounts in order to qualify for their services. I already have three active e-mail accounts, and the Hotmail is totally useless, and a spam magnet to boot. I absolutely never use the e-mail address for anything, but I get between ten and twenty messages to that account PER DAY, on topics ranging from girls with their webcams to getting FBI files to earning a "free" diploma. It's bullshit.
But that's not what I started this topic for...
I use OmniWeb 4.1.1 as my default browser, and that is set in my system-wide preferences panel. MSN Messenger provides a convenient window that notifies you if you have a Hotmail message while you're connected... but if you click on that window, the program IGNORES your established settings and automatically opens Internet Explorer (also known as Internet Exploder).
It's certainly not a huge deal; I can manually enter the URL in OmniWeb and access my Hotmail that way; but the principle of M$N ignoring my set preferences really annoys me, so I sent a query off to M$N "Support" to see if something could be done.
quote:First Reply -- MSN Support One of the prerequisites of Messenger working environment is a default browser (with IE 5 as most highly recommended). Without the proper working environment, Messenger will not be fully functional. Please download the latest version of Microsoft(r) Internet Explorer at http://www.microsoft.com/mac and set Internet Explorer as your default browser.
Bullshit, says I. I can access Hotmail in all its so-called glory from any browser I want. I e-mailed back (politely, of course) explaining further.
quote:Second Reply -- MSN Support Thank you for writing back to MSN Messenger Service about disabling the program to launch IE as browser.
We appreciate your feedback. After carefully reviewing your question, I've determined that you'll need additional technical expertise from the support experts in Microsoft Product Support Services (PSS) to resolve the issue. I've forwarded your message to Customer Central in PSS; they will contact you via e-mail shortly and will have additional questions for you. While our team specializes in resolving issues regarding the user interface, features, and instant messaging services for the MSN Messenger client, the issue you've raised covers technical features of other Microsoft software, and the PSS team specializes in handling these specific kinds of issues. They are also better equipped to assess your issue and give product improvement feedback directly to the developers who work on that product.
Okay, that's a bit better. At least they understand my question and seem to be forwarding it to the proper people. However, the very next message I read was...
quote:Third Reply -- Microsoft Support(Not MSN this time!) Thank you for contacting Microsoft. � I understand that you would like�to open OmniWeb�browser through MSN Messenger to check your Hotmail account. I realize the importance of your issue and look forward to providing you with right support options.� � The e-mail address you have contacted is of Microsoft Product Support, who can assist with Microsoft products and services. The Microsoft Network (MSN) is a part of the Microsoft Corporation, but MSN operates as a separate entity. For assistance with your MSN issue, I recommend contacting the MSN support team directly.
So, when Microsoft realizes that some computer geek is on to them, they give the poor fool a runaround and hope that he gives up in frustration? Sigh... no wonder they control the browser market -- their bureaucracy makes it impossible for people to get straight answers from them!
Posted by EdipisReks (Member # 510) on :
is there a version of trillian for mac? if there is, it would prevent you from having to deal with msn messenger.
Posted by E. Cartman (Member # 256) on :
It can be done, but it involves hex-editing the MSN executable -- as well as painstakingly altering several billion registry entries. Sound like fun?
Thought not. Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
I can't edit the executable, because there's no such thing as an executable on my computer. I don't use no steenking Windoze machine!
Mac OS X, baby. I've got a Jaguar on my hard drive!
I suppose if I learned how to program in Carbon I could hack the application, but that would (1) be illegal and (2) require that I learn an entire programming language and environment. Thanks, though.
Posted by EdipisReks (Member # 510) on :
computers without executables. kinda like car wheels without lug bolts, IMNSHO.
Posted by Topher (Member # 71) on :
The best bet would be for you to use Trillian or some other like program. Also, you don't have to have a Hotmail account to have a Messenger account. If you'll notice, Dan, my Messenger account is with a GMX email address.
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
Topher, you're a godsend! This may sound silly, but I never realized before that there was a difference between a Hotmail account and a .NET Passport! When I signed up for MSN last year, the form I was given (as I recall) had only a field for the e-mail account username and wanted me to choose from one of the MS-provided services out of a drop-down menu.
I've already cancelled the Hotmail account (aka ShitMail) and since MSN is giving me crap about canceling my .NET Passport that's associated with that now-dead account... well, I'll be sending some rather annoyed e-mails.
Whew! Posted by Topher (Member # 71) on :
The link for using a different email is very small and hard to find.
Posted by Grokca (Member # 722) on :
and once again the evil Bill Gates was thwarted in his attemp to take over the world.
That's your story for tonight kids, now off to bed.
Posted by Toadkiller (Member # 425) on :
I thought the new iChat was supposed to help one out with this sort of thing as well - or does it not interface with MS?
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
iChat is for AOL only...
Posted by Austin Powers (Member # 250) on :
And we all know that AOL is conspiring with "The Big Bad Bill"... Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
Er, are they?
Posted by EdipisReks (Member # 510) on :
AOL doesn't want anything to do with microsoft. in fact, they are currently bundling AOL with Lindows based machines sold at Wal-Mart. not a good way to conspire with "Big Bad Bill".
Posted by Harry (Member # 265) on :
I don't know. But the AOLTimeWarnerAcmeFordDextersLab company is scary enough.
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
Well, of course there was Steve Job's so-called "deal with the devil" about five years ago when Microsoft invested money in Apple, establishing a "strategic partnership." Since then, Internet Explorer and Outlook Express have come bundled with most of the shipped systems... though of course they're not chained to the operating system itself like SOME program we all know...
Actually... I'm not positive because I haven't explored the inner workings and hidden files, but I'm pretty certain that Apple's iChat program is integrated with with the operating system. Not so that the OS relies on iChat, but so that iChat offers special features like integration with the Apple-provided Mail.app client to let you know when a "buddy" is online, and a special menu on the top bar that is supposedly now reserved specifically for system functions and the normal application drop-down menus, and not extras. (It's one of the few decisions from Apple that's genuinely annoyed me.)
Anyway... I've never touched iChat yet, though I keep it sitting in the Applications folder in case I change my mind...
Back on topic, there ARE some multi-service instant messenger programs for OS X out there. There's one called Fire that was supposedly pretty good, but for whatever reason didn't work on my system, so I dumped it.
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