On June 30, 2009 (yup, just a couple days away now) Microsoft has decided to put an end to MSN Web Messenger. The Web Messenger service has been around for years, and was an alternative for those who didn't want to, or weren't able to use the full instant messaging client. With the web-based integration of instant messaging right from the Windows Live People page in Hotmail (fondly called your “contact list”), you can now chat right from Hotmail.
Just sign into Hotmail, and you should see the familiar Messenger Icon towards the upper right hand side of the screen. Click on the drop down box to see the sign in options (shown above). For those, like myself who don't use a Hotmail address for authentication, you do have access your contacts from your Windows Live People page with no problem whatsoever.
While it works great in IE and Firefox, I tried it on two different machines using Google Chrome and the Messenger option simply does not appear. On a fresh install of Chrome, after logging into my Live ID, I was prompted some pages might not display properly with the browser I was using So if you are a Google Chrome fan (like me) you may not be quite as impressed with this change.
Bottom line? MSN Web Messenger will be gone on Tuesday. If you want to access WLM on the web you'll need to use the new Hotmail (or Live profile) option, or use a web based client such as Meebo or eBuddy.
Thanks for the heads up, Doris! I never really used it, but it’s good to know. Interesting that they are eliminating it, even though there is a replacement of sorts.
I guess every time they can force you to your Live profile that’s one more chance you’ll try to integrate everything into one place for the sake of simplicity. I didn’t use it much, but there was a time or 2 it came in handy. I don’t really care for the clutter of the “People” page but at least it’s still accessible in one form or another.
This move makes sense to me for Microsoft, but they’re still not doing enough to pull me away from my google mail and messenger (and chrome for that matter).
I used this alot – and it stopped me from getting spyware from an installed version of the software..
the new version is bad..all it does it show a contact list and send a pm…(it doesnt show you the whole list of the conversation)
epic fail
uhh i dont know what anyone is talking about
i am writing this
the date is wednesday 29 of july
so if it was supposed to happen
why hasnt anything gone wrong for me or any of my friends
my MSN is working fine as it always has
are you sure this isnt another rumor
i see hundreds of unofficial closings of MSN
that never happen
Weptoe, if you read the article carefully, you’d realize that MSN is NOT closing… just their old MSN *web* messenger. WLM and the new chat client integrated with Hotmail will still work perfectly fine.
Yeah right… It’s August 3rd and it still exists…
Filipa, as the article states, MSN Web Messenger no longer exists. If you go to the old link in the article, you’ll see the following page: http://mail.live.com/mail/MSNWebIMDecomm.aspx
MSN Web Messenger is gone, but it was replaced by a version of WLM that has been built into Hotmail. Where the “old” version allowed you to run in it’s own window, now you either need to run the full desktop version, or have Hotmail open.
how do you sign out from messenger? i know how but it isnt cooperating! HELP!!!
Whoa~ happiest day of my life! I’ve just tried out the new Fonwar IM. It’s cool and I just redeemed my free iPhone! Try it and get your friends to join too. If you’re lucky like me, you’ll be able to win an iPhone or even an iPad =P. Heres the link btw here.