Shoutbox

It would appear that the Windows Live Messenger team has already started planning new features etc for Windows Live Messenger 9.

Although the list does have some good bits it does, however, include stealing ideas from Messenger Plus! Live.

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Whilst you budding Windows Live Messenger testers are fiddling around with the interim version, 8.1, there’s still another major milestone coming. Once a product has been released, they usually look for how it can be improved for the later version; with Windows XP, before it hit the shelves they realised how it could be improved for the next operating system, being Windows Vista. Even though Messenger 8.1 is to come out before Christmas 2006 (if all goes accordingly), Microsoft are still planning what’s to come in Messenger 9.0 which will be the next major milestone for this core Windows Live service.

So… what do you want to go into it? If you use any version of Windows Live Messenger, what could be improved - what doesn’t need to be there - what could be included? If you’re not a Windows Live Messenger user (maybe you’ve stuck with MSN Messenger 7.5 or use an alternative client), then what would persuade you to jump on the bandwagon for the new version?

Some things to think about include:

• Theme of the client
  
• Adding features that Messenger Plus! Live offers as an addition to the original client
  
• Family Safety features - making sure your children and those younger are safe
  
• Windows Vista and Windows Aero (previously known as Aero Glass) enhancements
  
• Audio/video features
  
• Virus and malware protection
  
• File sharing and modifications to Sharing Folders
  
• Video sharing
  
• Windows Live Spaces within the main window (eg: blog directly from Messenger)
  
• Windows Live Mail within the main window (eg: send mail directly from Messenger)
  
• Added plug-ins and sharing activities
  
• Colour functionality in names by default

If you can think of anything including, or a modification of the above features that you want to see in Messenger, leave a comment and I’ll make sure someone/many of the Messenger team has a browse around for ideas.

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This was posted by Zack Whittaker, a Microsoft employee, at MSBLOG. He then went on to say:

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There is no such thing as a ”suggestion database”, and most of the ideas have already been finalised. This was purely a way of getting the public’s ideas on what they would like to see - so then I can pass them on, or it viewed by an employee.

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So it looks like one of the main features of Plus!, adding colours to names, will definitely be included in the next main/milestone version along with "Adding features that Messenger Plus! Live offers as an addition to the original client".

This is a real disappointment; it seems that Plus! is too good for its own sake and will have no features left by the time version 10 of Messenger comes out. I wonder if any of this was discussed with Patchou when he went to Redmond - surely they wouldn't actually tell him that they are going to ruin his great program.

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Originally posted by the andyman
Adding features that Messenger Plus! Live offers as an addition to the original client

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Hehe, that sounds just lame  . I guess Patchou could see it as a giant recognition from Microsoft, and there is not much we can do to stop it anyway. But yes, if they put it like that it's just lame copying.

Things like tabbed chats, colors and away messages are just a matter of time before MS really implements it I guess, they have been talking about such things for years.

Patchou, get patents on some of the cool feature and make MS pay for using it .

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Originally posted by MenthiX

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Originally posted by the andyman
Adding features that Messenger Plus! Live offers as an addition to the original client

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Hehe, that sounds just lame  . I guess Patchou could see it as a giant recognition from Microsoft, and there is not much we can do to stop it anyway. But yes, if they put it like that it's just lame copying.

Things like tabbed chats, colors and away messages are just a matter of time before MS really implements it I guess, they have been talking about such things for years.

Patchou, get patents on some of the cool feature and make MS pay for using it .

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lol, imagine if Patch was to do that. It's stop Microsoft from adding features to their own product.

Personally, i think it's about time Microsoft adds features (like formatted text) officially to WLM. I must say that during the current Beta (Windows Live Messenger 8.1) i've seen this suggested a number of times.

Looks like Patch will need to think up some "cooler" features for MessengerPlus! Live

~Salem

I don't Patchou will be out of a job soon, ms might implement things like tabbed chats and text formatting, but I don't see them adding a scripting system soon.

And the community and Patchou will always think of news things to implement into Plus!

I personally think Windows Live Messenger needs an extension system . Tabbed chatting and coloured names are probably the things that will be taken

I don't believe for one second that all of that in the list is going to be included. Imo this list is only speculations based on suggestions betatesters provided through Connect.

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Originally posted by Sunshine
Imo this list is only speculations based on suggestions betatesters provided through Connect.

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True, it's basically brainstorming what would be cool to add in 9.0, based on the feedback they got in 8.1.

I've seen thing like colored names, themes, tabbed chats and such in 6.x betas too. In every MSN/WLM beta there seem to be a large group of suggestions which are basically existing Plus! features. It just proves that Plus! had good features .

Microsoft has implemented features in the past that Plus! already had. The biggest has been chat logging (which Plus! still does better IMO ). I'm sure they will implement a few more features that Plus! already has now, like colored names, tabbed chats or away messages.
But I don't think Microsoft will massively copy Plus! features. The features the have "copied" from Plus! now are just there because they are good features and people want them. Don't forget that all the features in Plus! were added for that same reason and because MSN/WLM itself was lacking it. Features get added because they are good, not because other apps have it too. I think Zack just picked his line unlucky by saying " Adding features that Messenger Plus! Live offers".

If Microsoft does "take" Plus! features (and they do it good this time, unlike chatlogging), then it's just time for Plus! to move on to new and more exciting features. I think Patchou's idea/todo list is far from empty .

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Originally posted by MenthiX

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Originally posted by Sunshine
Imo this list is only speculations based on suggestions betatesters provided through Connect.

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True, it's basically brainstorming what would be cool to add in 9.0, based on the feedback they got in 8.1.

I've seen thing like colored names, themes, tabbed chats and such in 6.x betas too. In every MSN/WLM beta there seem to be a large group of suggestions which are basically existing Plus! features. It just proves that Plus! had good features .

Microsoft has implemented features in the past that Plus! already had. The biggest has been chat logging (which Plus! still does better IMO ). I'm sure they will implement a few more features that Plus! already has now, like colored names, tabbed chats or away messages.
But I don't think Microsoft will massively copy Plus! features. The features the have "copied" from Plus! now are just there because they are good features and people want them. Don't forget that all the features in Plus! were added for that same reason and because MSN/WLM itself was lacking it. Features get added because they are good, not because other apps have it too. I think Zack just picked his line unlucky by saying " Adding features that Messenger Plus! Live offers".

If Microsoft does "take" Plus! features (and they do it good this time, unlike chatlogging), then it's just time for Plus! to move on to new and more exciting features. I think Patchou's idea/todo list is far from empty .

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Yes, chances that Microsoft will "take" all (most) of Plus!'s features seems very unlikely. I personally think the Plus! features most likely to be implemented in officially by Microsoft are text formatting & tabbed chats. But yeh, as was stated before i don't think Microsoft will put Patchou "out-of-business" anytime soon. If MS do implement Plus! features, Patch will most probably just think and create new ones.

Off-Topic: Firefox 2's Spellcheck is cool. Had loads of words underlined in red while typing this post

~Salem

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Originally posted by Salem

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Originally posted by MenthiX

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Originally posted by Sunshine
Imo this list is only speculations based on suggestions betatesters provided through Connect.

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True, it's basically brainstorming what would be cool to add in 9.0, based on the feedback they got in 8.1.

I've seen thing like colored names, themes, tabbed chats and such in 6.x betas too. In every MSN/WLM beta there seem to be a large group of suggestions which are basically existing Plus! features. It just proves that Plus! had good features .

Microsoft has implemented features in the past that Plus! already had. The biggest has been chat logging (which Plus! still does better IMO ). I'm sure they will implement a few more features that Plus! already has now, like colored names, tabbed chats or away messages.
But I don't think Microsoft will massively copy Plus! features. The features the have "copied" from Plus! now are just there because they are good features and people want them. Don't forget that all the features in Plus! were added for that same reason and because MSN/WLM itself was lacking it. Features get added because they are good, not because other apps have it too. I think Zack just picked his line unlucky by saying " Adding features that Messenger Plus! Live offers".

If Microsoft does "take" Plus! features (and they do it good this time, unlike chatlogging), then it's just time for Plus! to move on to new and more exciting features. I think Patchou's idea/todo list is far from empty .

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Yes, chances that Microsoft will "take" all (most) of Plus!'s features seems very unlikely. I personally think the Plus! features most likely to be implemented in officially by Microsoft are text formatting & tabbed chats. But yeh, as was stated before i don't think Microsoft will put Patchou "out-of-business" anytime soon. If MS do implement Plus! features, Patch will most probably just think and create new ones.

~Salem

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Yeh I agree with all of that, and we know that they're definitely gonna implement tabbed chats sometime, just becuase they are requested so much ...

It's all about being innovative.  Patchou should be proud that Microsoft is looking at his software for new features. And of course it will happen eventually, as sofware evolves it just has to get better. But as for Patchou, and his work, the new features will bring on new ideas and new possibilities and even more added content for Messenger, through Plus. Who knows...