MSN to close its chat room's

[XTR]

Microsoft's internet service MSN has taken a major step in net safety which could sound the death knell for unsupervised chatrooms.
MSN are closing all their chatrooms in Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and most of Asia from 14 October, and changing how others are operated globally.

"As a responsible leader we feel it necessary to make these changes because online chat services are increasingly being misused," they said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3133192.stm
http://groups.msn.com/editorial/en-gb/content/chat.htm

[Howard]

Yup heard about this this morning. Doesn't bother me, I never use it.

[Martin]

I think its good idea, i used to use them about 3 maybe 4 year ago, and i stopped coz the amount of "weirdo's" there were on there

[suki_uk]

This was going to happen, there are so many stupid people on those chat rooms. Is the yahoo still around? People will just move on to a new one.

[Skii]

Whats a chat room ? never used one

[Jcb33]

Dose this affect Mesenger ?

[5lab]

no it doesnt. i think microsoft have probably just realised they are potentially sue-able by parents of children who've been abused because of the service, and have shut it down to prevent that happening. i seriously doubt it will have a general effect on the net at all.

[Slick]

I just heard this on the radio, it was the biggest story on radio 1

TBH I couldn't care less, never used them but from what I've heard there was no need to close as they were highly policed and had loadsa swear filters etc on. Still...can't be bad as the msn gaming zone thingy where if you want to chat you're given a drop down menu of about 10 things you can say.

[Gordy]

God the news people havent a clue . They are shutting them down cos its costing them too much not for children safety. If they were bothered about that the chat rooms would be moderated..

[Slick]

good point, just hope they don't find IRC

[gumbossos]

If they were bothered about that the chat rooms would be moderated..

i lad, they are still open in new zeland and brazil but as you say are moderated. i think they needed an excuse?

reminds me of that brass eye episode.......

"Online paedophiles can actually make your keyboard release toxic vapours that actually make you more suggestible... (He sniffs his keyboard) ...now I actually feel more suggestible. And that was just from one sniff."
- Richard Blackwood

[Punky]

i ain't really too bothered, all i used them for was a chat on the music rooms if i was bored, and windin up the fat women on the BBW rooms.

[[GSV]Trig]

OMG Microsoft to close its chatrooms, omg where are we all going to go......

/runs around panicking....


Oh no, wait a sec, theres plenty more chatrooms and forums n stuff, wtf are they thinking, like we care lol...

[RoGuE|SaBeR]

Originally posted by Gordy
God the news people havent a clue . They are shutting them down cos its costing them too much not for children safety. If they were bothered about that the chat rooms would be moderated..

I said the exact same thing this morning. They are using the hysteria surrounding the whole paedofile problem as a PR exercise to get rid of a money sucking, none profit making venture. They appear to be the good guys, pioneers of safey and also can get rid of their loss making chat servers.

MSN messenger is Micro$haft's big feature - Chat rooms are really baggage in comparsion. Through none modded versions MS can advertise easily and with every new update add more and more spyware.

[Yosh]

Its about time someone did something for the cause.

Next i think AOL should follow suit as i expect there chatrooms are just as busy.

Its one step further towards making the net a better place for all.

[shiato storm]

perhaps this will free up some internet space then...and reduce that world wide wait we seem to suffer everytime the US connects up!

[oh, thats probably only aplicable to dial-ups though...]