I’M Update

And as the initiative keeps chugging along, the donation total now stands at $1,698,090 million spread to the various causes involved. Remember you can be involved by spreading it to your friends via your hotmail and more recently your facebook account via Invite2Messenger which will go step by step on how to help.

You can even create your own free muggin with the I’M message for Windows Live Messenger just by registering yourself to the cause. Lets get it to $2million!

What would you like to see?

With seemingly little news about the next version of Windows Live Messenger which is still being tested inhouse and a very limited group of testers, I thought we could start listing your ideas about what you would want or like to see or even improved in version 9.

How? Just register at our forums and post the ideas here or even just drop your ideas as a comment on this story. You never know, they see the ideas and may even try implementing or fixing something you may of suggested :)

Windows Live Messenger Library 2.0 is released

Windows Live Messenger

The Windows Live Messenger Library is (WLML) a client-side library for building presence-enabled instant messaging web applications hosted in any domain that site visitors can use to interact with each other and Windows Live Messenger users. WLML is written in C# and compiled into JavaScript using Script#; applications can be written either in C# (with Script#) or JavaScript. WLML 2.0 has been released: it is backward compatible with WLML 1.0 and the version 1.0 API is still available. The new version (documentation) contains the following changes:

  • Sorted contact collections: New OnlineContacts and OfflineContacts collections list contacts in sorted order to make it easier for applications to show sorted contact lists.
  • Contact display picture links: Contact display picture links are now returned but with respect user privacy, there is some special handling required to use them in applications.
  • Customization for the Sign-In Control: color schemes can now be defined for the Sign-In Control.
  • A new URL for loading the library: Library files are now content distributed globally; applications should see improved library load time.
  • Hosted static images for status icons and Messenger logos: GIF and PNG static images for applications to use for displaying user status are now being hosted.
  • URL strings for Messenger resources: The library returns a set of market-specific URLs for applications to display links to required Microsoft pages such as the privacy statement. This is to enable applications to move the Sign-In Control out of view when it is not needed.
  • Sign-In Control returns extended authentication results: The Sign-in Control has been updated to return more detailed information about user authentication results.

Source: Ars Technica

Messenger now blocks links to YouTube

Within the last 12 hours Microsoft has started blocking all messages that link to YouTube. Messages are not received and the sender gets the dreaded “The following message could not be delivered to all recipients” error.

In the past, Microsoft has taken measures to stop propagation of viruses by blocking messages containing phrases such as gallery.php, download.php, .scr and .pif. I see no virus here.

YouTube now joins the list of blocked sites including eBuddy and MediaFire. eBuddy was supposedly blocked because of advertising messages when starting a new conversation, and MediaFire blocked to try stop distribution of the leaked Windows Live Messenger 9.0.

I’m completely baffled as to why a block would be placed against YouTube, and eagerly await an explanation. Trying to hamper competition like this just seems ridiculous, it’s not like this would go unnoticed, lots of users are complaining on forums already.

Workaround? Try the domain youtube.info instead, or remove the http://www.

i’m Making a Difference Update

Many of you know of the i’m Making a Difference project has been around for a year. Well today Dharmesh Mehta announced on MessengerSays that it has donated $1.3 Million to the various charities associated with the project. As we speak the total has been updated to $1,409,788 Million.

They have also announced that theres still no set limit on donations and are continuing the project now and into the future so this is great news to all that participate and want to make a difference. Remember if you wish to help the cause head over to i’m Making a Difference site.