Slashdot Mirror


Microsoft IM Blocking YouTube Links

A number of readers are sending word that the blogosphere and Twittersphere are alight with reports of Microsoft's new block on messages containing YouTube URLs. Both MSN Messenger and Windows Live Messenger reportedly implement the block. One blogger sniffed the network to discover that such messages receive a NAK from Microsoft's servers. Microsoft has been blocking messages by keyword, as an anti-phishing measure, for some time, but *.youtube.com would not seem to provoke much worry about phishing. Instead, as B.E.T.A Daily speculates, "This block seems to be related to the recent launch of Messenger TV in 20 countries which allows for sharing video clips from MSN Video on Messenger." Hard to get away with in an arena where you don't enjoy a monopoly.

13 of 364 comments (clear)

  1. I call BS by Vampyre_Dark · · Score: -1, Troll

    Me and contacts usually trade youtube links all night. In fact, I sometimes get no work done because we spent a few hours checking out youtube clips. This block must have been implemented in the last 15 minutes otherwise.

  2. Re:First by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Three MS bashing articles in a row!
    Free MS bashing on S(low)un(ews)day!

  3. Not bright by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    This is a dumbass move from a dumbass company (that overcharges for poor quality dumbass software). How many M$ execs does it take to match the light of a 15 watt (incandescent) lightbulb? All of them! This is one of the most pre-eminently stupid things I think I've ever heard of. There is no equal to YouTube in mickeysoft land. None! Blocking out the competition like this intentionally (and there is no rubbish you can pass on that can say 'oh phish' here), gets them the boob-cum-idiot award of the year (maybe even the decade). If there is an entry in the dictionary for 'stupid idiot' its this:
    http://blog.protectwebform.com/images/microsoft_logo.jpg

  4. Monopoly by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    It's 2008 and the haters are still throwing around the word "monopoly". lol. Too bad Linux is getting squashed by Windows and Macs.

  5. Take off your tinfoil hats... by heatdeath · · Score: 1, Troll

    "This block seems to be related to the recent launch of Messenger TV in 20 countries which allows for sharing video clips from MSN Video on messenger."

    sigh.

    When in doubt, the simplest explanation is correct. In this case, it's "somebody did something stupid" - nothing more. When you have a URL filtering system, somebody's bound to screw up and do something stupid. How would blocking youtube drive traffic to MSN TV?

    --
    I'm sorry. The number you have reached is imaginary. Please rotate your phone 90 degrees and try again.
  6. Someone got Rickrolled by darkmasterchief · · Score: 0, Troll

    It seems like Gate's got tired of getting gayrolled by his buddies over at Headquarters. http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ssh71hePR8Q MSN on Crack

  7. Re:More sites appear blocked as well by Tweenk · · Score: -1, Troll

    You complain that deviantart.com is blocked? You want DEVIANTS to conspire using MSN? googlepages.com and mediafire.com allow anybody to put child porn on the net, ebuddy.com caters to fetishists with MOBILE MASSAGING FOR EVERYONE, while xanga.com might look nice and family friendly on the outside, but it is a Web haven for nazis and communists! Microsoft is not trying to censor competition, it's trying to protect you and your children from molesters, terrorists, pirates and Satan! You should be grateful that they care about your well-being and protect you. Yet, you are still complaining instead of being thankful for the kind attention you receive. Man, what's happening with people nowadays? Can't any of you show some gratitude instead of moaning that Microsoft prevents you from harming yourselves and your families? I'm really disappointed with you, you rude, insensitive clods.

    --
    Those who would give up liberty to obtain working drivers, deserve neither liberty nor working drivers.
  8. Threadjack - M$ Blocks Political Email. Re:First by twitter · · Score: -1, Troll

    M$ has yet to unblock Truthout email, which is clearly politically motivated censorship and against the wishes of their customers. They have demonstrated how they despise their customers time and time again by sabotaging "third party" software. Blocking a competitor like YouTube is part of a long tradition of anti-trust. Such a block will serve M$'s interests and those of their big media pals. Let's see if our government has the morals and nerve to shut them down. The analog equivalent would be as if ATT were able to blank out mentions of NBC and jam their signal at the same time.

    --

    Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.

  9. Re:Threadjack - M$ Blocks Political Email. Re:Firs by gnutoo · · Score: -1, Troll

    The quick fix is to get rid of your Microsoft dependencies and Microsoft is suicidal to court that. Hotmail and MSN both suck compared to services offered by Google, Yahoo and many others. You would think Microsoft would be trying to make their services more attractive in order to promote Vista. Instead they pull a bone headed stunt like this. Instead of Vista being the OS that makes it easier to share your world, it's that slow hog of an OS that blocks the world's most popular video site and won't work well with iPod. What are they thinking?

  10. Where did you want to go today? by Mactrope · · Score: -1, Troll

    Cancel Allow?
    NAK
    Disconnect.

    --
    http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=216934&cid=17629948
  11. Re:Threadjack - M$ Blocks Political Email. Re:Firs by willeyhill · · Score: -1, Troll

    More of the same from your favorite monopoly.

  12. Re:Threadjack - M$ Blocks Political Email. Re:Firs by willyhill · · Score: -1, Troll

    Hmm, I didn't know I was posting at zero now. Weird.

    --
    The twitter monologues. Click on my homepage and be amazed.
  13. Stevie Baller, by twitter · · Score: -1, Troll

    Please make this a feature of IE, and IIS. Then fire the PR company you pay to harass Slashdot. It's obvious they can't control a single individual much less sway public opinion on Slashdot. They are also a bunch of paranoid idiots who howl at shadows while I run circles about their mod bombs. As your cash cows sicken and your stock price plummets, your employees have better things to do (like find another job) and your advertising money would be better spent in a more traditional fashion, like Adwords or Slashdot banner ads.

    Delete your bookmarks, people. Redirect slashdot.org to 127.0.0.1 in your hosts file, in case you get the urge to go back.

    I know you can do it, your engineers used to delete Netscape bookmarks with Windows Updates. Blocking YouTube has won you lots of fans, just imagine how much people would love you if you tried to run people off Slashdot. Good luck with that.

    --

    Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.