Windows Live Messenger and Youtube

Windows Live Messenger and Youtube

Brad Wardell on 11 May 2008 - 02:39 · 63 comments & 32348 views

Advertisement (Why?)

As originally reported on the Neowin forums, Windows Live Messenger blocks sending YouTube links to other Windows IM users.

Speculation has grown throughout the web as to why this is. Monopolistic practices on Microsoft's part, or something else?

Today I discussed the issue with Rafael Rivera (maker of the Vista uxtheme patches on WithinWindows.com) who pointed out that a lot of sites are blocked, not just YouTube. For instance, deviantART, which doesn't compete with Microsoft in any way, is also blocked.

Our conclusion is that it's probably an unintentional, but stupid, mistake by Microsoft. But what do you think?

About the Author

Full name: Brad Wardell
User name: Frogboy
Contact: via forum PM
Submissions: View All
More: View Bio New!

Post a comment · Send to friend Comments · There are 63 additional comments

#1 voo on 11 May 2008 - 02:54

This has been driving me nuts, over and above my Broadband problems. Mediafire is also blocked from MSN.

#2 ozgeek on 11 May 2008 - 02:55

How is this news? Why not just open a thread where people can post "what they think?"

#3 zeta_immersion on 11 May 2008 - 02:59

burn him/it on a stick

(1 reply) #4 Rudy on 11 May 2008 - 03:25

works fine here ??? I just sent some test to my gf and it works fine

#4.1 Cpugeni Ω on 11 May 2008 - 10:11

Same here!

#5 EduardValencia on 11 May 2008 - 03:30

This time i'm with all MS-haters

burp

Slap MS in the face!

#6 +majortom1981 on 11 May 2008 - 03:31

Prob just a we always get sued so lets not get sued feature lol.

#7 Marshalus on 11 May 2008 - 03:54

I've never had problems sending stuff???

#8 jonathan740 on 11 May 2008 - 04:06

cant wait to i be fix

#9 seamer on 11 May 2008 - 04:31

Probably a kneejerk reaction to sending unverified urls to people. You know, an attempt to block malware tricking friends.

Don't agree with it as such, but it seems logical.

#10 SimNet on 11 May 2008 - 04:43

Use tinyurl to mask links!

#11 chris4 on 11 May 2008 - 05:03

Deviantart is fine for me.

YouTube has been fixed now.

#12 +0sm3l on 11 May 2008 - 05:30

i remember friends sending me youtube links... wierd

#13 Caneo on 11 May 2008 - 05:30

I never experienced this problem, I am still able to send youtube links.

#14 WhoTheF on 11 May 2008 - 05:37

I have never had youtube links problem from what I remember, but if this is something recent then thats odd.

I think MS is losing it. If they are going to start blocking stuff, they should know there are better alternatives out there - it's not just them.

#15 dhavalhirdhav on 11 May 2008 - 05:41

I nvr got this kind of problem.. I am always able to send and receive links...

#16 x9_ on 11 May 2008 - 05:50

Sounds to me like Mr. Gates got rickrolled one too many times.

(2 replies) #17 - Kaboose - on 11 May 2008 - 07:05

its MS's service, and people have a choice regarding its use, so stop complaining

#17.1 winmoose on 11 May 2008 - 10:45

So consumers should not compain?

Maybe in china.

#17.2 GEIST on 11 May 2008 - 11:27

Jawohl, mein Führer! \o

#18 williamhook on 11 May 2008 - 07:27

Tried it last night after I saw it on Digg, and it worked fine.

#19 ajua on 11 May 2008 - 07:36

YouTube, Deviantart and others sites are working inside wlm when sending links in messages...

Maybe there is some kind of system error or maybe a phishing outbreak that uses those sites...

However, it is funny that many people think that the world is ending because of this. I think we should wait and see how this evolves (i do believe some users are suffering this, but i have yet to hear it from someone i know).

(3 replies) #20 yottabytewizard on 11 May 2008 - 07:44

.sytes.net (One of the no-ip domains) is also blocked....

This whole thing is just stupid.... THIS IS MADNESS!

#20.1 treemonster on 11 May 2008 - 08:42

madness? no this is MICROSOFT!

#20.2 sibot on 11 May 2008 - 10:48

(treemonster said @ #20.1)

madness? no this is MICROSOFT!

Microsoft? No this is NEOWIN!

#20.3 kezzzs on 11 May 2008 - 12:25

SPARTA!

(1 reply) #21 Jonathan Yaniv on 11 May 2008 - 09:03

www.teamviewer.com is blocked when you send that message through Messenger, it bounces back.

#21.1 sibot on 11 May 2008 - 10:56

Its working here =)

(2 replies) #22 BlackTigerAP on 11 May 2008 - 09:28

Nobody blocks anything!
Check your ISP and/or Firewall!

#22.1 Cpugeni Ω on 11 May 2008 - 10:13

I agree

#22.2 mcloum on 11 May 2008 - 22:34

(BlackTigerAP said @ #22)

Nobody blocks anything!
Check your ISP and/or Firewall!

Eat your words!
http://messengersays.spaces.live.com/blog/...#33;35340.entry

#23 +Chipshop on 11 May 2008 - 10:49

No blocking of anything here...

#24 sibot on 11 May 2008 - 10:55

It does happen sometimes, that links bounce back, and a "Message Not Delivered" message comes up. But its nothing permanent, after sometime it starts to work again. No problems here till now. MSN service is getting bad day by day. Sometimes my messages won't get across completely, and no undelivered status messages either.

#25 n_K on 11 May 2008 - 11:04

Im thinking .pif

#26 GEIST on 11 May 2008 - 11:29

Linking to dA and YT has always worked for me on MSN/WLM.

#27 daPhoenix on 11 May 2008 - 11:49

Thye're a private company - they can censor anything they want and they don't owe you any explanation.

--

Yes, I just saved someone the time typing that out ;p

(1 reply) #28 TcKrockZ on 11 May 2008 - 11:50

I dint chk youtube but i tried to send a evilshare n zshare link it bounced back

#28.1 C_Guy on 12 May 2008 - 15:18

Kids say the darndest things!

#29 +The Cub on 11 May 2008 - 12:37

YouTube links work fine here!

WLM BETA 9.0.1407.1107
UK

#30 RDExpress on 11 May 2008 - 13:27

Read this on Mess.be yesterday, tried youtube.co.uk worked fine; youtube.com didn't work for me.

All fixed now though.

#31 +Lexcyn on 11 May 2008 - 14:30

This was never an issue for me.

#32 BlackTigerAP on 11 May 2008 - 14:48

Actually...
All this is FAKE! Original "youtube link" links to stupid advertisements! So...
"View" counter for that "link" was... 1500000 and counting!
People! You are fools!

(1 reply) #33 aeron on 11 May 2008 - 15:52

Attention: Full list of blocked phrases can be found here:
http://www.allocinit.net/blog/2007/08/07/t...blocked-by-msn/

#33.1 necrosis on 11 May 2008 - 16:27

That list is nowhere near complete.

Its not a full list.

(1 reply) #34 Jonathan Yaniv on 11 May 2008 - 17:11

Removed

Last edited by shockz on 12 May 2008 - 04:04

#34.1 Doli on 11 May 2008 - 19:20

Lay off the font size.

(2 replies) #35 Chrispy192 on 11 May 2008 - 17:48

This is why I hate microsoft so much. They charge an arm and a leg for all its stuff Vista is just an example. Then it goes and does something stupid like this, tbh if they carry on with this they will find themselves with less customers in general and definalty a lot less MSN users if they are gonna play these stupid games.

#35.1 XerXis on 11 May 2008 - 20:50

you're right, i have to pay a lot to use the messenger service

#35.2 simon360 on 12 May 2008 - 00:14

You pay nothing, but they make sometyhing off of the ads in the program. If people stop using it, they lose money. Therefore, if they lose customers who think they're getting a free service, then Microsoft loses money.

#36 niktheguru on 11 May 2008 - 19:23

It was just a mistake by microsoft, see the explanation here:

http://messengersays.spaces.live.com/blog/...#33;35340.entry

(5 replies) #37 Gabe3 on 11 May 2008 - 21:28

People still use MSN messenger? why??? I've been using Pidgin AKA GAIM for years.

#37.1 GEIST on 11 May 2008 - 22:40

I guess a lot of people just forgot to follow you, oh grand master.

#37.2 Darran on 11 May 2008 - 23:22

Doesn't matter what client you use, Microsoft still control the network, and can filter your messages.

#37.3 Joshie on 12 May 2008 - 00:46

Uh, isn't MS's messenger like number one globally in terms of userbase?

#37.4 chooser on 12 May 2008 - 02:52

(GEIST said @ #37.1)

I guess a lot of people just forgot to follow you, oh grand master.

lol. i love this site.

#37.5 Synthetic on 12 May 2008 - 03:12

(chooser said @ #37.4)

(GEIST said @ #37.1)

I guess a lot of people just forgot to follow you, oh grand master.

lol. i love this site.

I know right, lol!

#38 BigBoy on 12 May 2008 - 02:31

As others - I am sending at least one Youtube link a day to a friend who is also on Live Messenger... AND I have sent Devianart links too. Something is on crack but it might not be the software?

#39 BilliShere on 12 May 2008 - 03:08

hmmm... i switched to using amsn...
works jsut as good. looks like crap. but it works good.

(2 replies) #40 magik on 12 May 2008 - 03:25

LOL Who seriously uses the official MSN Messenger client? Come on now. You deserve to get your links blocked

#40.1 Long on 12 May 2008 - 04:52

If you bothered to read the comment, you'd know that this is a server-end block which affects any client that's connecting to the Live Messenger network including Pidgin, GAIM, Digsby and Trillian.

#40.2 C_Guy on 12 May 2008 - 15:15

Ummm... The real question is, who has yet to switch to MSN Messenger yet? Get with the times.

#41 Slugsie on 12 May 2008 - 08:19

I sent a YouTube link a couple of days ago, no problem.

#42 C_Guy on 12 May 2008 - 15:14

"...Monopolistic practices on Microsoft's part...deviantART, which doesn't compete with Microsoft in any way, is also blocked...Our conclusion is that it's probably an unintentional, but stupid mistake..."

So apparently, "monopoly" means blocking websites that don't compete with Microsoft in ANY way.

No wonder some people still mistake Microsoft for a monopoly.

Commenting has either been disabled on this article or you are not logged in. Click here to login or register, its free!

Note: Anonymous commenting is disabled in order to keep the quality of responses to a high standard.

Advertisement (Why?)

Neowin.net

Windows Live Messenger and Youtube

Share this Article

About the Author

Related news