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MessPatch, ( http://www.mess.be/ if its online ) it's not really an addon, its just a hex editor (underneath) that sets some of MSN's options differently.

Ive never used MSN Plus, because from the get-go like 5 years ago, ive heard nothing but bad things about it.

Myself (while on Windows) I use the "Simple" patch for MSN 7.5 (ie: setting the compatability mode to Win 2K, so it doesnt bitch about updating to MSN Live), does what I need, sends and receives messages.

Now seems like a good time to put in a plug for the Mess.be Mess Patch, which can strip out all the bloat, all the ads and all the 'extra services and features' that come with Windows Live Messenger and leave you with a relatively clean and usable client.

On a somewhat related note, have Vista users noticed the new 'Live' programs available optionally through Windows Update?

Now seems like a good time to put in a plug for the Mess.be Mess Patch, which can strip out all the bloat, all the ads and all the 'extra services and features' that come with Windows Live Messenger and leave you with a relatively clean and usable client.

On a somewhat related note, have Vista users noticed the new 'Live' programs available optionally through Windows Update?

Actually the ads at the bottom of msn messenger really annoy me, and I'm not the only one - a community has gone to a lot of trouble to remove them (and everything else about messenger that is annoying): http://www.mess.be/pafiledb/pafiledb.php?action=fi le&id=701 .

Granted it's probably easier to simply use a different client, but for those who really want the bling, this patch system makes messenger much less irritating.

http://mess.be/ is not related to Messenger Plus!. Your opinion of it matters not to anyone...

It is quite useful, and I have used it in the past.

Upon install, it ASKS YOU if you want the advertisements installed.

You also have the option to purchase the program. Given how much arse it kicks, I think that this is a fair trade.

The author has changed sponser programs numerous times in an attempt to find one who doesn't lie about their sponsorship program. You can all guess how well that has gone over.

The irony of this all IS this though:

Messenger Plus got started as a way to remove the banner ad from MSN Messenger.

MS contacted him and asked him not to do that any more.

It doesn't do that any more.

It now ships with additional banners though.

Thus making the entire program useless! :-p

If you check out the Messenger Plus website, it gives a link to www.mess.be which does all what Messenger Plus used to do, but for free, and then some more as well.

This one.

Hmmmn... it would also be nice to have MSN without the shitty ads at the bottom of the buddylist, but I guess that's reachin'.

I used to use one of those files until I discovered that I actually couldn't visit some sites I wanted to. For example, I couldn't download any MSN Messenger-related programs from http://www.mess.be/ [mess.be] because they routed their download requests through an adserver before it served me the file. Now while I understand that's the site's fault for being money-grabbing fools and wanting everyone to view their rubbish adverts, it doesn't change the fact that I didn't get the software I wanted. Installing Adblock was just a better solution to the whole thing - at least the 1% of the time that you actually want to "see" an advert, you get to choose.

(*) when combined with :
- Messenger Plus http://www.msgplus.net/
- Mess.be thingo http://www.mess.be/

Actually, now that I have tabbed MSN chats, it's very good indeed.
However, I do run Trillian also, but only because I need to run several accounts at one time (work/personal etc.).
The problem with trillian is I lose messages from time to time, check the trillian forums, this has always been their weakness.

Yahoo, just plain ugly but has always been the most reliable in terms of files/webcam getting through firewalls.

ICQ, they have finally succeeded... in making the client as bloated and ugly as their website, I credit AOL for this amazing effort.

Google Talk - excuse me?, are you kidding, I haven't seen such a feature-less messenger since 1997.

So, I am quite happy with my MSN(*) these days.

There are MSN messenger patches available to do just that, run two (or more) MSN messengers at the same time with different accounts, it's called the polygamy patch.

It's available at Mess.be

rant I tried to post this story, but got rejected. (Don't know why, my summary was better) /rant
As you can read here and in the register one of the main applications for the eID is to fight back the abuse of under aged chatters by adults. MSN Belgium closed its chatrooms last year due to that issue. The Belgian Federal Computer Crime Unit in 2003 registered 39 cases of children harassed by paedophiles on the web. Our government (wouldn't ICT if it farked him in the ass) secretary for eGov thinks this will help the situation.