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MSN Chatrooms to close

We're The Great Old Ones Now

10:31 / 24.09.03

MSN Chatrooms to close.

"Too many spammers, too many perverts" is apparently the Microsoft position. Others have other views about their motives. Are they running from controversy, from too much actual corporate reponsibility? Are they right?

Obviously, this is another issue of freedom, responsiblity, and control. With whom does responsiblity lie?

nedrichards is confused

11:18 / 24.09.03

They're running from the cost of providing a moderated chatroom that mostly runs on a keen competitors technology (Java) and pushing people onto their unmoderated IM service. It looks like a fairly crude competative move wrapped up in Daily Mail clothing to me.

Warewullf

11:25 / 24.09.03

I just watched an itme about this on Channel 4 news (UK). They had the head of Microsoft Europe on and asked him why they closed the chatrooms down.
His response? "To protect the children."

Gah! You lying fucker! No one really believes that a company that size is going to shut down a service just to keep MOO* groups happy, do they?
(*Mothers Opposed to Obsenity/Occult/Ostentation/Oranges/Other)

They also had Carol Vorderman on doing her "won't someody pleeeeease think of the chldren" bit. She was chuffed.

Linus Dunce

11:26 / 24.09.03

Curiously enough, they have not shut down the US chatrooms. The line appears to be that MSN are an ISP there so they have more control. But of course, they are not the only ISP, and the US is renowned for litigation ... so I'm not sure they really are doing it for the children, or to escape legal responsibility and costs.

I smell the war against terrorism or the war against "piracy." Look out later for a new MSN chatroom rising from the ashes, nonce-proofed by interlocked databases of verified personal details, "coincidentally" ripe for containment and digital rights management ...

w1rebaby

12:37 / 24.09.03

This is about on a par with them recently announcing a change in their MSN Messenger protocol for "security reasons". No, it wasn't for security reasons, it was to lock out third-party chat clients so that all MSN users can be bombarded with ads through their shitty official client.

sleazenation

20:19 / 24.09.03

lets face it people, its time to switch.

MSN are not providing a decent service and there are altenatives out there.

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