So to my horror, our display names in WLM are now forced to sync with our profile name. Which is a shitty idea. Besides the obvious privacy issues, the following is what I have sent to Microsoft via the feedback site. I'll repost it here:
----------------------------------

(I'm appalled. You guys put out WLM 2011, yet that option isn’t available under "which version are you running"?)

(NOTE: The above was just complaining about how they don't even list WLM 2011 as an option when giving feedback)

Bring back display names. Now.

Setting the display name to our real names by default is probably the worst idea to ever come out of the WLM team. Display names are much more than just a way for us to be recognised, it's a way to express ourselves. All my friends have phrases/short forms of their names as display names, because it's more PERSONAL this way. That's what makes having custom display names so great, you're interacting with your friends simply by seeing what they've decided to set it as that day.

I'm going to change the name under my profile to whatever I like, making it impossible for others to find me through your social features, which makes your social features unusable. Bring back display names, or just get rid of all your social features, because almost everyone I know won't be putting their full name on there just to get their WLM names right.

------------------------------

I agree 100%

We need a campaign (facebook?) about this or some sort of resistance

To 'express yourself' you should use the personal message, not your display name.

Other than that I agree with you that removing the possebility to have a display name other than your real name in Messenger (without changing your real name in your profile) is one of the worst decisions they've made.

The official reason behind it is so all the social network (namely Facebook) can now be syncronized better and the names you have across the Windows Live services and other social networks are the same. All in the name of 'to keep things the same/simple'; to make it more easier for the user to manage all the names, so to speak. But instead of fixing the issues on the Windows Live platform regarding different names across the different Windows Live services, they simply decided to remove display names all together and assumed everybody would like everyone else to see their real name.

See:
http://www.liveside.net/main/archive/2010/06/19/w...es-to-go-away.aspx

http://windowsteamblog.com/windows_live/b/windows...-your-privacy.aspx
topic: 'Additional privacy and profile changes'

Another argument of theirs is that people would better be recognized when you use their real name. Well newsflash for them: on the internet it is certainly not uncommon to only know a person by his or her handle/nickname and not by their real name!

It speaks for its own that not everybody agrees with these reasons and that their explaination is pretty poor. If you look at the demographics and stats of Messenger, Facebook and other social networks, together with how privacy is percieved around the world, then it is pretty obvious where such a decision comes from imho.

In the US, almost everybody uses Facebook (it is also the most used social network there). There it is also not uncommon to use your real name instead of a nickname and it is not seen as something strange to use your account both for pleasure as for business.

However, in the rest of the world, this is quite different. For instance in Europe, they are a bit more concerned and picky about privacy for instance; A name is seen here more as a private piece of information. And Facebook is not as widespread and using different accounts for pleasure and work is done more frequently.

But a 'problem' with that is that Facebook is designed around the fact that people should use their real name. It is actually against their policy to make a fake account (read: use a fake name) or make more than one account.

Putting all these things together and one can see where such a decision realy comes from and how they seriously made the wrong assumptions, probably governemented by their own social uses and views. But doing something like that for a program which is meant to be used around the globe is in my opinion, stupid and very shortsighted.

Solution should be keeping nickname , but when you hover a contact on the contact list, it would be better to display the Real name of that person (Profile name) as well on conversations

Something like this:

@blackjack

Having a custom nickname feature is not a real solution, in whatever form!

This is not about being able to set a nickname for your contacts though!
This is about your own name and the inability to set a display name for yourself, about the privacy issues it brings with it for some people, about how you are now forced to use a fake name if you do not want everybody to know your real name by simply chatting with you*, etc.. etc...

Again, this is not about the name of your contacts, but about your own name.

* because despite what has officialy been said and claimed, you can _not_ control who sees your real name (last name) or not. And you were _not_ warned before the change took place from display name to real name.

You got me wrong, i mean for the whole thing, Contacts keeping their Nickname but also showing the Real name (as it seems its very important for MS people, lol)

I also am worried about not being able to ''choose'' to keep or not to keep my nickname, im forced to Show my real name

anyway, i have my real name on msn at this time, but its not like its full of strangers that i dont want to see it

quote:

---

Originally posted by blackjack
Contacts keeping their Nickname but also showing the Real name (as it seems its very important for MS people, lol)

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by CookieRevised
To 'express yourself' you should use the personal message, not your display name.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Chrono

quote:

---

Originally posted by blackjack
Contacts keeping their Nickname but also showing the Real name (as it seems its very important for MS people, lol)

---

cookie did understand And you're still wrong. For me, i dont care really if people see my real name, but it's understandable that someone may not want you to know his real name. Hence the "hover to see real name" doesnt work that well

i still like your idea better than how it is now, but as cookie said, it's not a proper solution

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by spvn
Well maybe you and your friends/contacts use WLM differently from how I use it. I almost NEVER read my friends' personnel messages, but what I do see are their names when I start a convo with them.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by spvn
PROBLEM SOLVED. MICROSOFT, DO THIS NOW.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Chris4
If you don't want someone knowing your name, why do you have them as a contact?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Chris4
It's the same thing for Facebook, that has your real name.. so what?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Chris4
Messenger wanted to be connected with social networks such as Facebook chat, and with that it makes sense to use the same name for each.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Chris4
It's something you've got to live with and get used to. Same thing happens with every new release and every time we have to say "you'll get used to it" and they do without realising it. It's for the best, I ensure you.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by CookieRevised
hu??? Welcome to the internet I'd say.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by CookieRevised
Absolutely not! There is no technical reason at all why people wouldn't be able to still use a display name on Messenger or other Windows Live services. The only reason they did what they did is to make things 'simple'.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Chris4
I personally don't mind sharing my full name with my Messenger contacts, but that's just me.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Chris4
But even if there is a strong argument to keep nicknames, do you really think they'll change it back? I highly doubt they will, hence the "get used to it" approach.

---

I'm against this change.

Here in Brazil, that's where I live, Messenger is used in a much more free way - most people are not very picky of who they add or not. So almost everyone uses nickname - or just the first name - when on the internet. WLM is largely used as a way to know strangers a bit better - someone you met one a forum, social network (as Orkut, that is the most used here - Facebook is not that popular yet), chat rooms and so on. So here it's a big security issue: people that are upgrading are opening personal info sometimes to completely strangers. Even in Orkut people usually don't put their full name on it. Not even in Facebook, as a matter of fact.

Some may say that how people use WLM here should change, but I think that's beside the point - you see I'm extremely criterious of who I add, I have almost only people that I know in my real life and yet I use a nickname. Because as I said: ALMOST. There are some 'strangers'. I think that's why most messengers uses nickname system: it's safer. This this way: there are lots of chat groups WLM-based out there. It's very common here to have this tipe of service offered from sites to promote their visitors and members integration. Here Messenger is rarely used as just a  tool to keep in contact with family or for work-related: it's almost a social network on itself.

Worse than that, if any person of my contact list upgrade, they'll see my real name without me knowing that. That's plainly invasive. As now that I upgraded I see from people I have on my contact list. And with a full name if I wanted I could do some really bad things without much effort. It's not that hard to find your ID card number, telephone number or other highly personal information with a full name - and this things we donm't shed that easily here! With name and birthday date I could retrieve almost any information that I want. You why I say that here this IS a security issue really really bad?

I don't know if there is a way of changing that but yes I believe that complaining may be the only chance. I don't care about Facebook: I have it and it's not a WLM feature that I see as essential. Lots of people will simply ignore it - as I said Orkut is popular, not Facebook. They should not compromise security based on that. Things are not just worse because most people here still uses the old WLM - because they heard bad things about the new one, because there is no Msg Plus! for it or because they like Win XP too much to upgrade to Win7.

So that's my humble opinion - as just a normal user. I'm sorry if I made grammar mistakes (as I said, I'm Brazillian, I speak Portuguese, not English XD).

It really wasn't necesary to remove the display names. Look at AIM for example.

AIM 7 has facebook integration and you also can chat with your facebook friends through it. When you talk with your AIM contacts, you and them appear with the AIM name, but if you have a chat with a facebook friend, only on that conversation tab you are displayed with your facebook name aka you real name. Heck even your display image on the facebook chat tab changes to your facebook avatar, while on the AIM chats you retain your AIM buddy icon.

So if AIM could handle it in such smart way then Microsoft has no excuse for have removed the display names.

I'm against this choice too. However, I don't think it's a privacy issue, but only an "aesthetic" one.

Windows Live introduced the real name a while ago, and everyone that updated it on his profile made it visible to every Messenger contact, also in the previous version of Messenger. In addition, even if you don't put your full name on Windows Live, if you use the same mail address on Facebook, everyone of your Messenger contacts using Facebook will be able to find you on Facebook and so discover your real name.
So, if you worry about showing your real name, simply don't put it on Windows Live and don't associate your WL ID with anything that uses your real name!

For me it's not a problem to show my real name, I used to do it on ICQ, ten years ago, well before Facebook! However, the real name on ICQ was part of the (optional) personal information, but in the contact list and chat window only the nicknames were displayed.
It should be the same on WLM! Or, at least, it should be an option: I should be able to choose my own "nickname" (the display name), and the contacts should be able to choose to see me in the contact list with my real name, my display name or to override it with another nickname.

I have many contacts that use simply their first name as display name, and many have the same names! So, if they don't have a photo, I have to check their mail address to understand who they are... so I think that showing the full name somewhere in a tip or in the conversation window is useful. But I want to be able to show me as "Johnny" instead of "John" keeping "John" in my profile!

I personally didn't like the change too. Also what I cannot understand is why Windows Live tries that hard to connect with Facebook, to adopt its Real Name strategy etc. I still refuse to connect my Windows Live and Facebook because I like to use them only on their sites seperately. I think Windows Live and many other services try to survive against huge Facebook popularism. But what they must do to survive is to keep their originality.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Yugo
Windows Live introduced the real name a while ago, and everyone that updated it on his profile made it visible to every Messenger contact, also in the previous version of Messenger.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Yugo
In addition, even if you don't put your full name on Windows Live, if you use the same mail address on Facebook, everyone of your Messenger contacts using Facebook will be able to find you on Facebook and so discover your real name.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Yugo
So, if you worry about showing your real name, simply don't put it on Windows Live and don't associate your WL ID with anything that uses your real name!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Yugo
I have many contacts that use simply their first name as display name, and many have the same names! So, if they don't have a photo, I have to check their mail address to understand who they are... so I think that showing the full name somewhere in a tip or in the conversation window is useful. But I want to be able to show me as "Johnny" instead of "John" keeping "John" in my profile!

---

If MS kills WLM2009 protocol support as they did with v8.5, it will be the last day I use WLM. They will force me switch to something else, like skipe...

For these who "accidentally" installed 2011 crap and wants go back to 2009 version, you can downgrade it from here

I've downgraded again.  Not that I think it's going to make much difference.  The way I see it, if you are on someone else's msn and they have upgraded they will still see your full name.

What gets me is that when I was younger, say when I was 15-17 I was constantly in chat rooms and making new 'friends', they were strangers that I could enjoy a chat with.  Once getting to know them a little you might have added them to your msn so you might have a number of contacts that you know only online.

When you're a young impressionable person you might tell them you're real name, but it was drummed into me from a very young age there are scary people out there and you should never use your real name.  Hell I don't even use my real name on Facebook, just because.

What about all these younger people (my neices that are only 12 spring to mind)?? They have over 100 contacts on their lists, half of them they have no idea who they are.  Any one of these people could be the wrong kind of people, and telling them information like your real name is a no no, and it should be up to you to choose who you want to tell your real name to.

Now most of us on here are adults and we all know the risks of talking to random strangers online.  But so many young kids out there don't know the dangers.  I was extreamly techy savvy, but lots of kids are not.  They are young and naive and might not realise what they are doing.  Surely Microsoft have missed an important parental setting with this????

I was shocked when i first installed 2011, If nothing happens I will definitely consider switching to an alternative application.

For anyone who's interested, i've just created a FB group and would like share it here.

As a disclaimer i'd like to say that i am NOT affiliated with microsoft in any way and the group will probably have no effect on them at all.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_141853819195746

if any of the mods consider this as spam or advertising, please remove my post, i'm here in peace ^^

anyways, let's just hope MS comes to their senses

quote:

---

Originally posted by b-adam
I was shocked when i first installed 2011, If nothing happens I will definitely consider switching to an alternative application.

For anyone who's interested, i've just created a FB group and would like share it here.

As a disclaimer i'd like to say that i am NOT affiliated with microsoft in any way and the group will probably have no effect on them at all.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_141853819195746

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by b-adam
anyways, let's just hope MS comes to their senses

---

We should all change our Profile name to Fork M$ and by fork i don't mean fork. Personally, most people that i have on WLM know me by my nickname and not by my name. Personally i don't use WLM that much but still people see my nickname and know who i am. I hate that M$ seems to use this policy in pretty much all its products, that is it forces people to undergo certain changes without giving them an option.  These so called "updates" and "upgrades" are nothing but that if they force these changes on the users and don't provide any alternative or option.  Some people said that they hope M$ does change this or they come to their senses which is not going to happen. Same reason why this was not released on XP and the same reason why the enforce these changes. The reason being that they will do whatever the heck they want, whatever will bring them more money and simply ignore anything that is different than what they want to do.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Butcher_ss
Same reason why this was not released on XP and the same reason why the enforce these changes.

---

On the contrary, by not releasing on XP what are they doing (i am referring to the new version of WLM)? Promoting Vista and Windows 7. Windows XP is not making any more sales at the moment and by not releasing this a person who wants this will either switch to Vista/7 or not install it.

If that person wants better synchronisation with Facecrap they have to upgrade. Again, promoting Vista/7. The reason this policy was changed was as previously mentioned to allow better synchronisation but why wasn't it offered on XP as well since more users have XP than Vista/7?

Because promoting a new product on a system that people already have will not bring them money. Same thing why they will not be releasing IE9 on XP, most people already have XP but if they want the new toys they have to get a new OS>>> More money.

The display name policy was changed so that there is better synchronisation and so on. What does that mean? People will be using WLM for more than just a single chat program. Using WLM for more purposes than just chat means that WLM will be used more if it provides more services. Correct? And what does WLM have? ADS. Meaning if more people use a product, then it means that more people will be seeing the Ads that the program has, hence the Ads just became more expensive>>More money.

Simple economics.

The main reason why WLM2011 was developped for Vista/Win7 only is because they wanted to use the new technology provided by Vista/Win7 which is not present in XP. This can be checked and read on many (un)official pages - and that's also the same reason why IE9 is developped for Vista/Win7, or any other new 'toy' for that matter: to take advantage of the new technology (it would be stupid not to).

Most of the stuff currently done in WLM2011 is not possible to do on XP because that simply doesn't have the required new architecture.

But yes, you're correct that they want people to use Vista/Win7 but that was certainly not the main reason behind the decision to only develop Messenger for Vista/Win7. There are far many and better ways to promote and push the new OS than using a (free) IM program.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Butcher_ss
The display name policy was changed so that there is better synchronisation and so on. What does that mean? People will be using WLM for more than just a single chat program. Using WLM for more purposes than just chat means that WLM will be used more if it provides more services. Correct? And what does WLM have? ADS. Meaning if more people use a product, then it means that more people will be seeing the Ads that the program has, hence the Ads just became more expensive>>More money.

---

Something weird happened to me. I'm still running 14.0.8117.416. I had changed my first and last name to the same display name I always had back when I tried the 2011 beta, cause I was anticipating this. But one of my friends who recently updated to 2011 made fun of me cause he thought I put my (very long) full name there.

I told him about the display name thing with the new version, but I thought somehow I had forgotten to change my full name, since he was still seeing it. I went to my Live profile, and sure enough, the display name I had changed a long time ago was still there. I changed my first/last names just to try, but my friend still sees my full name (with the new display name in parenthesis after it). I don't know of any other place where you can change your name. Heck, I don't even think I ever put my full whole name ever, but I must have at some point, I guess. Don't know why I would have done it though.

So my question is, where in the world could WLmessenger be getting my full name from?

quote:

---

Originally posted by andyo
So my question is, where in the world could WLmessenger be getting my full name from?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by andyo
So my question is, where in the world could WLmessenger be getting my full name from?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Menthix
Either http://profile.live.com/details/edit/name or sign in to an old Messenger version and your old friendly name is there. Depending on which client your contacts use they can see either of those.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by andyo
I went to my Live profile, and sure enough, the display name I had changed a long time ago was still there. I changed my first/last names just to try, but my friend still sees my full name (with the new display name in parenthesis after it).

---

I thought that too but there's no reason for him to put my real name there (he was the one mocking me cause he thought I did it, and also no one calls me by that name), and if he had done that before upgrading, my full name would have still shown in the previous version of messenger, no?

Anyway, sooner or later I'll get to test this with another PC I guess, and with anothes Live account so I'll see for myself what's up.

windows live messenger was better the way it was.. those people destroyed what was almost perfect

I noticed that in the last few days my name keeps changing without me doing anything. I am currently running Windows XP with 2009 and sometimes my name will change from my nickname to my actual name and the picture i have will get removed. The same has happened to my sister and her photo as well.

I have also seen this happening on some of my contacts, their nickname disappears along with their picture and then their profile name appears. Has anyone else noticed this as well?

quote:

---

Originally posted by Butcher_ss
I noticed that in the last few days my name keeps changing without me doing anything. I am currently running Windows XP with 2009 and sometimes my name will change from my nickname to my actual name and the picture i have will get removed. The same has happened to my sister and her photo as well.

I have also seen this happening on some of my contacts, their nickname disappears along with their picture and then their profile name appears. Has anyone else noticed this as well?

---

Thanks for the help, i'll follow your instructions, maybe this will fix things.