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MSN Cuts Unmonitored Chatrooms Around the Globe
letxa2000 writes "According to MSNBC, Microsoft will be shutting down its unmonitored chat services in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and much of Latin America on October 14th--the day before MSN Messenger will lock out many 3rd party clients. Interestingly, the European manager of MSN is quoted as saying 'This is a decision based upon consumer experiences, child protection and our strategic investment to build up MSN Messenger.' It's starting to become clear that Microsoft is starting up the IM wars again and that the 3rd-party lockout indeed isn't so much about security as it is about marketshare."
...only evil comes out of it. Why should people talk about other things than bondage, rape and casual sex? Beats me.
Computers are like air conditioners.
- They stop working when you open Windows.
"It's starting to become clear that Microsoft is starting up the IM wars again and that the 3rd-party lockout indeed isn't so much about security as it is about marketshare."
Your questioning of microsofts motives clearly indicates that you have something to hide. Are you a paedophile?
We have found a nonce! may we burn him?
I read it was because of spammers and kiddie pr0n..
I can only hope they shut down Hotmail next, though I feel it is more the S&M version of mail for people that enjoy getting spam in their mailbox.
"wher cn i get quake warez?"
"u r a faggot!"
"This person used their CD-ROM drive as a cup holder LOLOL!!!111"
I don't want them all coming back :(
Combination - fun iPhone puzzling
Can't have people talking to each other now can we? Next for UK data retention, every citizen to be required to wear a microphone so that all verbal communication can be logged with GCHQ, sign language to be criminalised. Keep paying your taxes because it's all for the public good.
Nah, you're missing the strategy: (1) Give away IM; (2) Get everyone in the world to live/breath/eat/sleep your IM service, like Crack; (3) monetize it.
By and large the sheep will fork out their credit cards to keep the crack coming. Monetizing MSN is MS's wet dream.
They'll eventually pull it off.
Oh no! Now IRC will be suddenly full of immature people using some kind of weird form of English! Oh wait...
Mother is the best bet and don't let Satan draw you too fast.
Are you insane? You can't just have unmoderated instant global communications networks without SOME kind of government regulation or corporate oversight. What do you think this is, 1995? It would be anarchy! IRC channels would be filled with child molesters and pedophiles, copyrighted material would be sent back and forth without the owners' consent, and the government would be unable to effectively monitor your communications for terrorist activity.
Oh no! Now IRC will be suddenly full of immature people using some kind of weird form of English! Oh wait...
... I'm thinking of Slashdot
Mother, do you think they'll like this sig?
Damn! There goes my unique IRC characteristic. :-/
Tiggs
"120 chars should be enough for everyone..."
Chatrooms were always a waste of time anyway imho...
Horses for courses :)
From the Jargon file:
Hackers who don't indulge in Usenet consider it a huge waste of time and bandwidth; fans of old adventure games such as ADVENT and Zork consider MUDs to be glorified chat systems devoid of atmosphere or interesting puzzles; hackers who are willing to devote endless hours to Usenet or MUDs consider IRC to be a real waste of time; IRCies think MUDs might be okay if there weren't all those silly puzzles in the way.
jer
We may be human, but we're still animals
- Steve Vai
A 14 year old leaves her parents and takes enough money to go halfway around the globe without her parents knowing about it? Maybe the UK needs a lengthy screening process for would-be parents..If the government thinks you can't raise a child, maybe they shouldn't let you procreate..This way, the rest of us won't suffer.
"protecting children"
Even if we do the right thing for protecting our chilren (permanently locking them into a padded basement, obviously), we have this critical dilemma:
1) No sunlight can lead to soft bones, nutrient deficiency, and obvious harm.
2) Sunlight can lead to skin cancer, "leather face" (for the teen beach bunnies out there), and obvious harm.
Damn.
Okay, the right way to protect the children, then, is to have no children. Problem solved.
What, even this isn't satisfactory? What do you mean you want kids?
Ah, crap.
Healthcare article at Kuro5hin