What is Microsoft's problem?

[Bijo]

Because I'm working with someone online and another messenger service seemed to not function for this person, the use of MSN Messenger is necessitated. What I want:

1. Download app
2. Install app
3. Use app

It can be that simple, really. But nooooooooo: they gotta make it so ****** up. First I must browse a bloated site and find the goddamn link, then there's a whole story and rubbish for noobs which I must navigate through, then it redirects me finally to the MSN site of my country (but I don't give a damn, I read English, or even give me French or German version, I don't care... and what's messed up is when I selected my country (which has its own language) I still got it in English.... what the ****), then I get a bloated installation window when the file is run... What the ****? All this marketing, all this rubbish, all this talk about nothing: just give me the goddamn download, then let me install it and use it.


The way:

1. Download app
2. Install app
3. Use app
4. No hassle!

Of course, when I finally used the program after a long time I discovered it was changed. I see it's become even more bloated than ever with all kinds of unnecessary abundant rubbish.

And I shall end this complaint with the following phrase: Microsoft must cease to exist.

[sapi]

Forget Microsoft, trust open source?

[Husar]

I'm currently using Miranda(if you compare that to pidgin, pidgin looks like a graphics blender ) but to be honest, I always liked the MSN Messenger, now called Live Messenger. There are some features that can be/have to be customized and to be honest it was faster than downloading, installing and getting to work all the Miranda plugins I use now. Also keep in mind that some people may actually like to have fancy graphics in a sidebar with links to all sorts of stuff that may be irrelevant to you and me. For you and me there's an option to turn that sidebar off. It's a bit like setting a new game to the correct resolution and tweaking the graphics settings until you're satisfied.

I've heard some bad things about the Microsoft Messenger but for me it seemed to be the most private protocol whereas until some years ago I used to receive daily requests in ICQ from porn stars who wanted me in their contact lists.
ICQ 6 even goes a step further and after adding someone you cannot see her/his online status because that requires a special permit now on top of the one already given.
Well, Miranda works around this and a few other annoyances, uses less ressources etc but you have to find all the nice plugins yourself and features like voice chat(which I have actually used somewhat extensively some years ago) are not available at all AFAIK.

To answer your original question, I don't think Microsoft has a problem, I think you have one.

[sapi]

For you and me there's an option to turn that sidebar off.

I'd never seen that before

Thanks a lot

[Bijo]

Fascinating. It seems Husar might be correct when he states he thinks it is I who have a problem and not Microsoft. Well, even then what about all the bloated websites and such? Ah, they must go to hell! I used Miranda before but I didn't like it and I probably never will.

I followed sapi's advice and checked out Pidgin. What a beautiful program. There seems to be a downside, though, at least from what I notice: transfers are slow as heck and the program often disconnects which never happened with the other separate messengers. Still, nice program.

[Fragony]

Windows, made by a nerd who worked in his spare time to develope something that turned out to be just what the people wanted, this guy deserves respect, he even invested more capital in good causes then you and your kids and theirs will ever earn in your life and probably a whole lot more generation to come. What is it with people to envy succes, he would never been succesful as a salesmanager, a pimp or a pornstar, but he was good enough at this when others weren't, congrats billyboy