MSN - are you blocked or open?

[Spacecadet]

It is invaluable for bitching across the table though (so I've heard.. )

it is indeed a good method for having a private conversation at work

[cojak]

We used to use Y! Messenger as the default mode of communication around the office.

It was a definite win - if, say, you needed a server configuration changing, you could just ping the guy and he could sort it out straight away. Otherwise it would have involved walking up to fifteen feet and actually talking to each other.

I'm thinking of 'working from home' mode Dear.

It is invaluable for bitching across the table though (so I've heard.. )

[Spacecadet]

We used to use Y! Messenger as the default mode of communication around the office.

It was a definite win - if, say, you needed a server configuration changing, you could just ping the guy and he could sort it out straight away. Otherwise it would have involved walking up to fifteen feet and actually talking to each other.

It's quite handy when discussing code as well as snippits can be pasted directly into the conversation. Trying to dictate code over the phone is an experience so painful I avoid it at all costs.
Email could be used but it's less conversational then an instant messenger

[NickFitz]

We used to use Y! Messenger as the default mode of communication around the office.

It was a definite win - if, say, you needed a server configuration changing, you could just ping the guy and he could sort it out straight away. Otherwise it would have involved walking up to fifteen feet and actually talking to each other.

[cojak]

true but these days many clientcos have terrific real video conferencing where the typed word is not required.

though that does raise an interesting "real business" ltd co question.... if wfh and needing to present i'd do it manually (email the .ppt or the url and talk over the phone "go to page x blah, blah, blah")

now, there are video hosting companies that i've used in the past but they require software and access rights and all sorts of palaver and have always been dictated by clientco. is msn the best approach to run a ltd co video conference approach with end clients? or are there better "open source" options?

Video conferencing works for me on MSN, or Skype or Google Chat if the clients prefer...

[DS23]

true but these days many clientcos have terrific real video conferencing where the typed word is not required.

though that does raise an interesting "real business" ltd co question.... if wfh and needing to present i'd do it manually (email the .ppt or the url and talk over the phone "go to page x blah, blah, blah")

now, there are video hosting companies that i've used in the past but they require software and access rights and all sorts of palaver and have always been dictated by clientco. is msn the best approach to run a ltd co video conference approach with end clients? or are there better "open source" options?

[cojak]

each time i've used msn i have ended up turning the damn thing off for blessed relief. i'v tried msn, icq, the yahoo one. rubbish the lot of them. wtf is email for? ah yes - communicating via the typed word.

Although not quite as spontaneous as video conferencing with clients...

[DS23]

the endless hoops and hurdles that you need to go through to get signed up drove me absolutely hopping mad.

should be a simple process but oh no - you need to sign up for this, that and half a dozen other things (none of which are of any use to man nor beast - certainly not european ones anyway). once signed up you then turn the blasted things off (not that that ever stops them popping back with the never ending updates). and then there is the extra processing that is added to the infamous windows start up procedures...

each time i've used msn i have ended up turning the damn thing off for blessed relief. i'v tried msn, icq, the yahoo one. rubbish the lot of them. wtf is email for? ah yes - communicating via the typed word.

[Spacecadet]

i loathe msn

Any reasons?

I quite like it, you can turn off all the annoying features and you're left with quite a clean chat interface

There are also a few mods around to remove the ads

[DS23]

i loathe msn

[PRC1964]

Skype was really bad a couple of months ago but they seem to have fixed it. I haven't had any hot sexy desperate chicks contact me for ages now .

I've never used MSN though.

[Pogle]

never used MSN

[Spacecadet]

I've noticed that a number of posters have 'contact via MSN' turned on.

I'm also on MSN but my setting on there is 'allow only contacts to send messages, block all others'.

Are there problems to changing this status?

There is some spam, maybe once a month some spam bot will tell me it's horny and to click the link for a webcam
but I've never had a real problem

It might depend on how public your email address is

Skype is 1000 times worse than MSN in my experience

[cojak]

I've noticed that a number of posters have 'contact via MSN' turned on.

I'm also on MSN but my setting on there is 'allow only contacts to send messages, block all others'.

Are there problems to changing this status?