Shoutbox

Well according to Neowin, microsoft had what they call a 'hack day'  where the developpers get to develop what they want to for their software

the wlm team had the idea of an away message, hardly original

quote:

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Microsoft Hack Day Improves Windows Live Software
Posted by simeandrews on 08 April 2006 - 15:31 | 22 comments
75 Microsoft employees joined a Microsoft "Hack Day" on Thursday, which was focused around Windows Live products and services.

Hack Day is Microsoft's way of getting inspiration, creativity, and ideas out of its employees. "We knew lots of people had cool ideas because they talk about them all the time in the hallways," Jennifer Johnston, a Senior Microsoft product manager commented. She continues to say that the employees at Microsoft needed a chance to get those ideas out.

A grabber for many Microsoft employees (besides the chance to spend a day letting their ideas run loose) were the prizes. A boxed set of Lord of the Rings and an Xbox 360 were just some of the prizes awarded for the best ideas. Some of the programs that came out of Hack Day included a Windows Live Messenger auto-reply message that kicks in when a person is away, and a garage sale listing program that plotted a route using an online map.

News source: The Seattle Times: Business and Technology

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Just stealing idea's and claiming them for their own if you ask me

How else would they get ideas?

They're idiots.

Unless, of course, the writer of that program hasn't heard of Plus!. Which is entirely possible.

but everyone who develops for messenger has heard of plus and is starting to support it. also away messages are in many other third party clients etc

what if it was patchou who submitted the idea?

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Originally posted by Supersonicdarky
what if it was patchou who submitted the idea?

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He has ripped it off too, from Khaled Mardam-Bey (mIRC), who has ripped it of... , who has ripped it of... , who has ripped it of... blah (whoever came first with the 'away message' concept; which probably even didn't had anything todo with computers)...

Point is, such ideas are not unique, never were, never will. It is only the thing to be bothered to implement them. If that guy in MS was the first to be bothered with it, congratulations to him and he deserves a price (or rather the others deserve a kick on the but )

This has not been confirmed yet. You can't say that they have 'stole' the feature idea, because this and tabbed chatting has been one of the most requested features to be added to MSN Messenger. I'm sure they know that away messages are apart of Messenger Plus!, but I hardly consider them to be 'stealing' it. They are finally listening to what people want, but it has taken years for them to listen to us. At least we know that are feedback is being taken seriously .

But It doesn't really matter does it? If patchou adds it or the msn team, as long as it's there, and patch will allways include new things in plus! to keep one step ahead of msn.

quote:

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Originally posted by Ezra
But It doesn't really matter does it? If patchou adds it or the msn team, as long as it's there, and patch will allways include new things in plus! to keep one step ahead of msn.

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Agreed. Even if features get added to MSN there will always be somthing they dont have, that Messenger Plus! Will let us have.

quote:

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Originally posted by Ezra


But It doesn't really matter does it? If patchou adds it or the msn team, as long as it's there, and patch will allways include new things in plus! to keep one step ahead of msn.

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totally agree to that plus features arent stealing/copyrighted so MS can do as they please