Shoutbox

blah blah blah blah blah, I've been following this thread on since its started. All this issue over file size when downloading with new features etc. Patchou mate, if this issue also concerns you and I'm sure it bothers others too that when you add more and more features, the greater the size of the download gets.

Its been my understanding that the more people request an addon the more it would make it easier for them to:
1) select which ones they want (personalise installation) and
2) make them themselves (simple scripting language)

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This can be easily solved with the following ideas I got in conjuction with Macromedia's Central, create a plugins menu, simple window within MSN Plus! where the menu or whatever is actually a page on the internet listing the available plugins. Further more, have it so that users have to login (Same accounts as for forums etc, so they can keep track on what plugins they have installed. That way, developors can see whos downloaded and whos using them. (ie success rate).
Now! with this new menu system, you can leave all the features seperate (addons) and people can select which ones they want to install and browse the ones that are newly available. Since these are seperate from plus! than the default file size for plus! would be minimal.

I hope someone is following me with this...

Basically, addon feature (already been done). But with the added ability to browse the ones available and the ones already default with msn plus! converted into plugins.

I love what you do Patchou, I seriously do. But its my opinion that the more features you make 'default' in the plus! becomes irrelivant to most, (bos protection, cause majority don't chat at work) unless its used all the times, like colours etc. The rest is just taking up space. I like the idea of being able to browse plugins through plus!, add/remove the ones I personally don't need.

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I feel I have to also comment on the addon feature (dlls). I think its brillient for developers, but not all together easy to understand for people like me that havn't taken the time to learn 'visual basic or visual c++' because of various time contraints. What there needs to be is a simple scripting language where you can write it in a simple text editor (like what you can with html, php and mirc) so theres no need for compilers etc.
Of course unlike mirc/others there would still be a need to call dlls for advanced users. But I would like to be able to do a simple script without having to go through the process of learning a visual language. Later on, you might consider a basic WYSIWIG.


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Oh yeah, it was also said that there was a feature to leave message for people when they are offline, and that message will be sent when they come back. If thats the come-back message, than I hope it'l be updated in the v3.0. I think that setting it to message the person, EVERYTIME they come online is a little redundant unless you want to annoy them. Unless of cause you want to say Hello to that person as soon as they come online, everytime, than thats ok too. Just think that there should be an option to auto disable the auto message once its been sent once. Like a times to send the message box (# Times, 0 for infinite). Also, if thats the case for setting a message for someone everytime they come online, you might as well make it editable when the person is currently Online, as opposed only be able to edit it when they are not online.

I'd also like to offer myself to be a beta tester.