Windows Live Messenger 2011 - Reduced features and functionality.

[Sanjay]

Why are usefull and important features removed for no good reason. The idea of a new version ought to be to increase utility and control, not reduce it. Why has Microsoft removed features under 'Privacy'? Specifically I am referring to the page where one could view the list of blocked contacts and also the one's who are allowed to contact you. Even more importantly where is the page where you could see the list of people who have you added to their contact list? I am presuming these have been removed for I certainly cannot find them.

[Kudo]

Here you go: http://www.neowin.ne...one-installer/. I've had the annoyance for nearly 6 months so far.

Cool! One Million Thanks :)

[XP_2600]

any workaround to get this version working on XP?

[Fraud OS 11]

Maddoggyca said: Hmm no its not! do u even look at what your useing for posting? Since you did miss it. here what u missed look what I outlined.. oh its there.

That's the STATUS BAR. It used to have the PROGRESS BAR which was REMOVED. Do you get the difference between the two?

[Samoth]

I disagree. 'Appear offline to' makes much more sense, especially because that's what the features does. If people don't understand it has been changed, they need to look around and learn. I'm sick of hearing that software designers and engineers should be limited in how they develop their applications just because some of the 'average users' are too ignorant to want to learn how to use software.

I have a question..

I updated my Live messenger 2010 or 2009 to 2011.. and the changes are horrible, hideous.

The friends list, before, showed 1 list..

Example:

Friends

Tom

Karen

Tim

+++

And it was not messy at all, and the statuses to people you could see all the way because of all the space -----> way

Now there are 5 short lists going like

Karen tom tim blabla

And it's ugly, you cannot see the full status to people anymore, it will go like.. tom is at work atm, he's .... (because there's no space) ****ing stupid, and so much offline ppl shown as well.

Additionally, before you could change your status.. I mean, you had a name.. and a status.. Where your name appeared with a bold writing, and your status after a - and then in gray.

The gray status, additinal status you can change whenever, but the name.. the one shown(in the box when you talk to ppl, the msn name), you cannot anymore without being sent to your fking hotmail???????????? and there it's only the first and last name thing, so it's linked to that all of a sudden? and you can't use any special signs in it anymore.... which is completely retarded. It's not your msn messenger name anymore... you have to use your first and last name in your hotmail.. LOL.

I want to change back, but I cannot without having to delete 2011 first, and then install 2010 again?

Because updating to 2011 doesnt make you lose anything

But if you wann "down"grade again, you have to uninstall it?

Omg.. I hate the developers if this new 2011.. it's pure ugly.

Ahh, I see they removed the one way webcam function too..

Another stupid thing to do.. why would they? what's the point of removing that?

This is the worst version of messenger ever made.

[WelshBluebird]

No features have been removed. Either they have been improved or have been replaced with a much better solution (e.g. the replacement of the Up button in XP with the Breadcrumb bar of Vista/7).

How about the one way webcam feature?

There is no replacement for that.

And don't say video chat, as that uses more bandwidth and is more resource intensive meaning it is useless for me.

What about the handwriting / ink feature?

What about nicknames?

[Samoth]

How about the one way webcam feature?

There is no replacement for that.

And don't say video chat, as that uses more bandwidth and is more resource intensive meaning it is useless for me.

What about the handwriting / ink feature?

What about nicknames?

Nicknames are fked now..

The status you can change, but not the nickname.

Your nickname is now linked to your mail, the mail you have to that msn. So your nickname HAS to be what you write in your first and last name.. which is so SO annoying. You can't use any signs or anything whatsoever. Only letters and numbers.

Actually something about the status too.. when you click it, you can't backspace the few words you wanna change.. you have to rewrite everything. You cannot mark stuff anymore..

Developers should've been locked behind bars..

[c3ntury]

Useless features should be removed to avoid bloat.

[Samoth]

Useless features should be removed to avoid bloat.

Well if one of the "useless features" you call it, are one way webcam feature, that's NOT useless.

What if one of the parts doesn't want to go on webcam, but just wants to see the other part, to be happy.. to feel better, whatever.

Well now the function is removed, which is completely out of this world stupid, and the one who came up with that idea should just quit the job...

The same goes for nickname function, since you now cannot change your nickname on msn anymore, and have to use first/last name on your mail, and it'll show on your msn. Failure, utter failure.

[WelshBluebird]

Useless features should be removed to avoid bloat.

But the features they have removed (certainly the webcam one) are not useless

[DaRkMaDnEsS]

well i think the most annoying thing is the webcam thing

cause usually i don't use the microphone and i want to see the other side only

and using video call the video gets a little bad but when using the one way the video was good

i hope that they return the one way or at lest 2 way video with no microphone and better video quality

[Samoth]

The most annoying things are:

-That the One-Way webcam thing is removed.

-That you cannot choose your nickname on msn anymore, and having to change your first and last name by mail or profile every ****ing time you want it to change.

-That you cannot write <3 anymore, no it's changed to a heart instantly, which sucks, because <3 seems much more happy and is different.. and the heart alread has (L) as a hotkey, so what the ****?!!

-That the list is changed, so now it's places ugly in a row so you cannot see the full status on people anymore, because there's not enough room. Earlier, there was ONE list, all downwards, and the space for statuses, was awesome.

-Also they have included news into the program, instead of aside when you logged on, so you could exit it out. Now it takes extra capacity to have msn on, which is also retarded.

-The new smileys, the basic smileys.. they have no charm anymore, and are all ugly. The :p one, in the older versions, were so lively and happy and fun. The new one is just.. it looks handicapped, and has no soul. No reaction when someone sends it, it's just not happy at all.

-So basically every change that has been done, has gone to the worse... not even ONE change is acceptable, it's all just plain stupid and ugly. They should just change it all back to what it was, and rename it 2011. That would be, without doubt, the best solution. Deffo.

[Samoth]

And additionally, the new video call thing sucks big time.

It's like ripped off Skype... annoying.

The one you are having a video call with, has a HUGE screeen, and the chat window is minimized not under like normal, but on the side.. and it's scary to think of yourself so much Zoomed in, while your own thing shows BARELY down in the left corner, which is also stupid. You can barely see the expressions you make yourself.. it's almost under the screen...

And the resolution is hideous.. horrible.. sucks big time.

The normal web cam thing was so much better.. much better resolution, clearer.. and easier to talk while being on cam. Now the chat system is fkied up, so is the web cam.

What a FAIL update!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[torrentthief]

how do you change the colour of a conversation window? I can change the colour of the main WLM2011 window but can't figure out how to change it for the conversation window! Hope the a-patch creator manages to figure out how to remove the banner soon.

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

In previous versions of WLM, I was able to send messages to my contacts while offline. I can't do that in the newest version. Instead, I get a window asking me if I want to appear online to the contact I want to communicate with. What's up with that?

[Guest xiphi]

In previous versions of WLM, I was able to send messages to my contacts while offline. I can't do it in the newest version. Instead, I get a window asking me if I want to appear online to the contact I want to communicate with. What's up with that?

You still can.

Misread what you said. Guess you can't. *shrugs*

[LiquidSolstice]

how do you change the colour of a conversation window? I can change the colour of the main WLM2011 window but can't figure out how to change it for the conversation window! Hope the a-patch creator manages to figure out how to remove the banner soon.

Why do you continue to use this app when you have to do so much work, download so much, use third party tools etc etc when a lightweight install of Pidgin or Miranda will do? At least for non-webcam stuff (I don't know what Pidgin has as far as video tools go)

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

In previous versions of WLM, I was able to send messages to my contacts while offline. I can't do that in the newest version. Instead, I get a window asking me if I want to appear online to the contact I want to communicate with. What's up with that?

You still can.

Misread what you said. Guess you can't. *shrugs*

I just realized why you can't send messages while offline. :pinch: WLM 2011 allows you to appear offline or online to particular contacts. It's funny because I mention it in my earlier post. It's even better this way because I can send/receive files. In previous versions of WLM, you couldn't do anything but chat while offline.

[Hardcore Til I Die]

The one way webcam feature being removed is the only real issue I've noticed with it.

Everything else seems streamlined and there's less bloat :)

[Samoth]

The one way webcam feature being removed is the only real issue I've noticed with it.

Everything else seems streamlined and there's less bloat :)

And the new videocall thing.. is way too big.

Your own shown cam is a small **** in down left corner, while shown to the other person you are like fullscreened zoomed in, which creeps out.. and does also portray very bad resolution. Huge problem..

Why couldn't they just keep it the way it was.. much better. Two smaller ones on the left side, just big enough, perfectly big, and a serious conversation box like normal without cam.

[pcj]

OK, I get the idea about appearing offline to people on your contact list, but I upgraded to WLM 2011 and keep getting spammed by people I don't know. I used to be able to block people who are not on my contact list from messaging me, but I can't anymore, any suggestions?

[Linkin Park]

Anyone know where I can download WLM 2009? I can't stand this 2011 version!!

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

OK, I get the idea about appearing offline to people on your contact list, but I upgraded to WLM 2011 and keep getting spammed by people I don't know. I used to be able to block people who are not on my contact list from messaging me, but I can't anymore, any suggestions?

Unfortunately, Microsoft removed the block list. The best thing you can do is to create a group for those contacts and appear offline to them. You'll still receive offline messages but they won't be able to see you online.

[+InsaneNutter MVC]

Anyone know where I can download WLM 2009? I can't stand this 2011 version!!

Here you are: http://digiex.net/downloads/download-center-2-0/applications/3487-windows-live-messenger-2009-wave-3-build-14-0-8089-726-offline-install.html

I uploaded that myself after trying the wave 4 beta earlier this year, I had a feeling people might want to go back to wave 3 somehow...

[HawkMan]

Unfortunately, Microsoft removed the block list. The best thing you can do is to create a group for those contacts and appear offline to them. You'll still receive offline messages but they won't be able to see you online.

Why would he need to make a group. all contacts you appear offline to automatically go in the "appear offline to" group.

and if you don't want messages from someone, just remove them.

[lamminium]

Went back to version 2010. Can't stand this new one. The Audio/Video Setup Wizard is well hidden; no Handwriting; sometimes lag in opening the convo window especially with tabbed convos; no Offline messaging (although I can appear online to selected individuals but that's really inconvenient); and no Menu in Jump List which is an excellent feature in version 2010 for me.