Shoutbox

MSN Messenger:

disable:
* Tools > Options > General > Display alerts when contacts come online
disabling this makes it possible for Messenger Plus! to "take over this function" so only individual contact notifications can be shown

enable:
* Tools > Options > General > Display alerts when a message is received
general settings, goes for every contact
* Tools > Options > General > Play a sound when contacts sign in or send a message
will play a sound for these events for all contacts. To specify a special sound for some special individual contact, see Messenger Plus! settings

optional:
* Tools > Options > General > Display alerts when e-mail is recieved
if enabled it will show a MSN Messenger notification when you've recieved new mail on your hotmail account
* Tools > Options > Personal > Show as "Busy" and block my alerts when I'm running a full-screen program
if enabled it will block the MSN Messenger notifications and set your status to "busy" when you're running a full-screen application


Messenger Plus!:

enable:
* Plus! > Preferences > Notifications > Sounds > Enable contact sign-in & sign-out sound notifications
This makes Messenger Plus! play a sound for these events for a particular contact or group
* Plus! > Preferences > Notifications > Popup options > Enable Messenger Plus! notification windows
Enable the Messenger Plus! notifications in general
* Plus! > Preferences > Notifications > Popup options > Play a sound when a notification is displayed
This makes Messenger Plus! play a sound when a Messenger Plus! notification is shown and no other sound has been specified for that notification in the other settings
* Plus! > Preferences > Notifications > Popup defaults > Enable Messenger Plus! notifications when contacts sign-in
This makes Messenger Plus! take over the normal and general MSN Messenger notifications (see first setting in this post)

disable:
* Plus! > Preferences > Notifications > Popup defaults > Contact goes offline
Since you want only notifications for specific contacts, this must be off
* Plus! > Preferences > Notifications > Popup defaults > Contact changes his/her name
Since you want only notifications for specific contacts, this must be off

optional:
* Plus! > Preferences > Notifications > Popup options > Display notifications even when my status is set to busy
Same as the MSN Messenger equivalent; if disabled it will not show a Messenger Plus! notification when your status is set to "Busy"


Messenger Plus! (individual settings):
Right click on a contact to set this

enable:
* Messenger Plus! Extra's > Notifications > Notify me each time
Enabling this will show the Messenger Plus! notification for this individual contact every time instead of only once
* Messenger Plus! Extra's > Notifications > Contact goes offline
Will show a Messenger Plus! notification when this specific contact goes offline
* Messenger Plus! Extra's > Notifications > Contact's status changes to "(any status)"
Will show a Messenger Plus! notification when this specific contact changes his status
* Messenger Plus! Extra's > Notifications > Contact changes his/her name
Will show a Messenger Plus! notification when this specific contact changes his name
* Messenger Plus! Extra's > Notifications > Contact signs-in
Will show a Messenger Plus! notification when this specific contact changes signs in
* Messenger Plus! Extra's > Notifications > Sound to play
Setting this will play a sound when the above events occur for this specific contact


general comments:
It looks complicated (like I've put it here), but actually it is quite easy to configure if you know what each function does or don't. Why so much settings? Because there need to be numerous possebilities to configure to give each user what he wants.