Shoutbox

I've got a somewhat odd question... does anybody here know if it's possible, through plugin or otherwise, to remotely change a person's nickname in MSN? With their permission, but without them going and doing it themselves. If anyone knows if it's possible, and better yet, how to do it, that would be great.

I think you can do this if you have Messenger Plus....but I aint sure....better get help from someone else to make sure lol

You can't do it using Plus! at all. Anyway, remotely changing someone else's name is a violation of their privacy, since you'd need some form of backdoor Trojan to do it.

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Originally posted by raceprouk
You can't do it using Plus! at all. Anyway, remotely changing someone else's name is a violation of their privacy, since you'd need some form of backdoor Trojan to do it.

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Originally posted by personaomega
With their permission, but without them going and doing it themselves.

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It wouldn't be a violation of privacy if the other contact has given permission.

And, while this is not a good enough idea to make it to the main MsgPlus! program, I think that a whitelist*-based plugin could be possible to make (mandatory for involved contacts, though).

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Originally posted by QtanJ
Maybe it could specify which emails would be able to change it.

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That's exactly what a whitelist is. A list of things that can happen, what's not there is not taken into account. In the case of software, what is allowed.

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Originally posted by colddove
Both or all people who install the patch would need to get a warning before all events and before the install or else it would be against the privacy policy.

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A plugin can be downloaded by anyone looking for it. Such as an extension for Firefox. I don't think many people install plugins without having a general idea of what they do.

If you read my somewhat short (and probably incomplete) explanation of what is whitelist, then you'd see that there is no privacy invasion at all. (in that case)

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Update: I'm currently giving this a try as a plugin for MsgPlus!. If any experienced user wants to try it out with me, add me to MSNM (I still wouldn't give this out to just anyone who can't report problems properly).

I would have to say, based on what I got from your question was that you need to change a name remotely. The only two ways you can do that is with Remote Assistance or Remote Desktop. I can't see it ever making it to any version of any software as the two previous methods that I listed are sufficient in doing that and anyone making software or patches know that, as stated in a previous reply,

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Originally posted by raceprouk
You can't do it using Plus! at all. Anyway, remotely changing someone else's name is a violation of their privacy, since you'd need some form of backdoor Trojan to do it.

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It's a violation of privacy and would need a backdoor Trojan. So if the person is at their computer, you'd wanna use Remote Assistance and if not, than you'd wanna use Remote Desktop. Correct me if I'm wrong.

corrections to some posts in this thread:

There is no privacy issue involved here at all!!!!:

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Originally posted by personaomega
With their permission

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Meaning with a password or white list scheme or whatever. And second, the contact needs to install the plugin also, so he installs such thing himself, it isn't forced upon him!

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Originally posted by personaomega
does anybody here know if it's possible, through plugin or otherwise, to remotely change a person's nickname in MSN?

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This is perfectly possible with a (small) Plus! plugin using the RecieveNotify() function. Though, both you and the contact need the plugin to be installed... thus also Messenger Plus! of course.

You don't need advanced programs like remote desktop or whatever at all, if both you and your contact have Messenger Plus! and the plugin.

Both or all people who install the patch would need to get a warning before all events and before the install or else it would be against the privacy policy. Plus, how would it be able to determine between who's allowing it and who's not? It would be against the privacy policy if you connect to another computer without someone on the other end, unless using RDP or something of the like.

I'm not an expert, but am I wrong if I think it can look after a long password first and then a name? So only one person need the plugin or don't the plugins have read recieved text feature? For an example write j46kj7lk34hk56kl newname, and and then it will change the nick to newname if the nonsense before was the correct password. Maybe it could specify which emails would be able to change it.

If you install a plugin that allows everyone to change your nick and knows it then it's not against privacy policy. Maybe one accept each logon is required but not more than that.

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Originally posted by colddove
Both or all people who install the patch would need to get a warning before all events and before the install or else it would be against the privacy policy.

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There would be no privacy invasion at all, in any way.

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Originally posted by colddove
Plus, how would it be able to determine between who's allowing it and who's not?

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password, white list, whatever; there are lots of possebilities.

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Originally posted by colddove
It would be against the privacy policy if you connect to another computer without someone on the other end, unless using RDP or something of the like.

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1) You never can "connect" to another computer without permission in any way (with a plugin or any other means)
2) Even with RDP or whatever you still need permission.

But you don't need anything like that at all. Such plugin as pruposed is perfectly possible and there wouldn't be any privacy issue (not any security issue) at all.

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Originally posted by QtanJ
So only one person need the plugin or don't the plugins have read recieved text feature?

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They do have a RecieveNotify() feature which indeed would be used in such a plugin as pruposed.

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For an example write j46kj7lk34hk56kl newname, and and then it will change the nick to newname if the nonsense before was the correct password. Maybe it could specify which emails would be able to change it.

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Indeed. And that's how one should make such a plugin, especially with the 'white list' scheme, because the password would be viewable to everybody in a conversation).

If anyone is still intested in this, I made it a plugin. You can find it here: RemoteNick (along with information of how to use it and what it does).

I didn't have anyone to test it with, so I did it with StuffPlug's polygamy. However, I don't think it should be different.

If you have any suggestions or found a problem, let me know.


Edit: Hmmm, seems I over-looked a problem in the whitelist. I'll correct it now. Don't bother downloading the plugin until I update this post.

Update: The bug has been corrected, you should now be able to manage the whitelist correctly. You must download the file again and reinstall the plugin.