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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."
they'd probably like to shut down all unmonitored humans too.
bravo microsoft.
They might end up using non-Microsoft chat and messenger services, but to expect them to use, say, non-Microsoft operating systems is a bit far-fetched. And quite undesirable on their part, I should imagine. Unless they're using Macs.
MSN quits chat services worldwide
Microsoft Corp. announced Wednesday it would shut down its Internet chat rooms in 28 countries, saying the forums had become a haven for peddlers of junk e-mail and sex predators. "The straightforward truth of the matter is free unmoderated chat isn't safe," said Geoff Sutton, European general manager of Microsoft MSN.
FROM OCTOBER 14, the software giant will shut down its MSN chat services in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and much of Latin America, forcing millions of message board users to find alternative online forums to discuss the topics of the day.
In those regions, said Microsoft, the chat was free and unsupervised, giving rise to a nefarious element that bombarded users with "spam" mail, much of which was pornographic and, in some cases, allowing pedophiles to prey on children.
The decision has triggered a heated debate among free speech advocates, children's rights groups and Microsoft rivals about the proper way to police online forums, which predate the Web itself and have been critical to the Internet's growth as a mass medium.
In the United States, Canada and Japan, Microsoft will introduce an unsupervised chat service solely for subscribers, who are considered more accountable because their billing details and identities are on record with the company.
"It's a signal that some of the joyful early days of the Internet have moved on a bit. Chat was one of those things that was a bit hippyish. It was free and open. But we're going to change that for everyone. It's great," Sutton said.
Microsoft said it would begin alerting users to the changes later this week. Users in the affected regions will still be able to chat online but must do so through Microsoft Messenger, the company's instant messaging product.
"This is a decision based upon consumer experiences, child protection and our strategy to build up MSN Messenger as it's the best product," Sutton said.
Microsoft competes with AOL Time Warner's Internet unit and Yahoo Inc. in the hotly contested instant messaging market.
The U.S. software giant has been putting more weight behind its messenger service, including plans to license it to business customers and integrate it more closely with its money-losing MSN Web service. (MSNBC content is distributed by MSN. MSNBC itself is a Microsoft - NBC joint venture.)
MIXED REACTION
Some applauded the move, saying other Internet companies should follow Microsoft's lead in pulling the plug on unsupervised, anonymous chat areas.
Proponents pointed to the highly publicized crackdown on online pedophilia rings as proof such measures are necessary.
"The rate and pace at which bad things are happening to kids because of the Internet has just stepped up in the past 12 months. You just can't ignore that," said John Carr, Internet advisor to the UK-based children's charity NCH.
But free speech advocates, industry rivals and even some children's rights groups questioned whether this would drive the darker elements of online chat underground.
"I think chat rooms function in the way a youth club functioned for us back in the '60s," said Terri Dowty, a policy advisor for watchdog group The Children's Rights Alliance for England.
"Naturally, children want to meat each other. They want to fuck each other. They want a discourse with one another. History shows that shutting things down just displaces the activities elsewhere, which is far more dangerous," she added.
Rivals, including AOL, Yahoo and British Internet service provider Freeserve, said the Microsoft move would not make them rethink their chat policies.
"Chat is one of the most popular tools on the Internet and it's not going to go away," a spokeswoman for Freeserve said.
I for one welcome our new monitored chatroom overlords! (no overlords were harmed in the making of this post)
Eat recycled food - it's good for the environment, and OK for you.
that's funny.
i've used other services and the only reason i even touched msmessenger was becvause that was the only service my (multinational) corporation would allow.
yeah, they are a bunch of constipated morons. And who knows? they may be pack of pedophiles. wouldn't surprise me in this world of littleboyfornicatin' bishops.
f**k ms.
or are you just happy to be able to 'chat' some/where/more?
.compliant. if you think that you are already compliant, & it's somebody else, consider this a chance to rat them out, to gain re-admission to the onLIEn wwwhirled again, (c SourceForgerIE(tm) all rights reserved, you have none).
/.puppets.
.asp on that. when the lights come up, there'll be no going back, & no where to hide.
coming soon to/already on, yOUR desktop/network?:
Due to excessive bad posting from this IP or Subnet, comment posting has temporarily (permanently, if we could figure out how to do it) been disabled. If it's you, consider this a chance to sit in the timeout corner. If it's someone else, this is a chance to hunt them down. If you think this is unfair, we don't care.
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alert: looks like yOUR kids have been listening to music again, you're out.
alert: although you appear to be browsing regularly, you've failed to make a purchase recently, you're out.
consider this a chance to stare at your monitor screen, & plan how you can become
etc... lookout bullow. these foulcurrs haven't a clue yet, as to what J. Public can do, once he's peaced off. they live in a tiny wwworld, consisting of only their owned greed/fear based goals. they should get ready to see the light.
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investigate the newclear power plan. J. Public et AL has yet to become involved in open/honest 'net communications/commerce in a meaningful way. that's mostly due to the MiSinformation suppLIEd buy phonIE ?pr? ?firm?/stock markup FraUD execrable, etc...
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the overbullowned greed/fear based phonIE marketeers are self eliminating by their owned greed/fear/ego based evile MiSintentions. they must deny the existence of the power that is dissolving their ability to continue their self-centered evile behaviours.
as the lights continue to come up, you'll see what we mean. meanwhile, there are plenty of challenges, not the least of which is the planet/population rescue (from the corepirate nazi/walking dead contingent) initiative.
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we weren't planted here to facilitate/perpetuate the excesses of a handful of Godless felons. you already know that? yOUR ONLY purpose here is to help one another. any other pretense is totally false.
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in our estimation, the biggest 'threat' against US (aside from continuing to
Which one has the lowest age of consent?
I'm, um, just curious.
--CmdrTaco
~~~
The spin they are putting on it is that MS wants to cut off a source for pedophiles to lure children. They will terminate all "free, unsupervised chat rooms" in 30 days to introduce a "premium, paid service". MS is just wanting to make more cash, and the pedophile angle is just a feel-good spin some guy in a suit thought up to lessen the blow and help the public digest the new "premium" services. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for reducing access for pedophiles, but it's really just another ploy to get more money from unsuspecting Joe Newbie computer user... I love that Soviet Canuckistan nick one of those Yankee know-it-alls used by the way on Fox tv this summer...
------ Will of Iron, Knees of Jello.