How to delete an IM on Skype before it is received? [AccidentalInappropriateMessageFilter]

June 30, 2009 10:29 AM

My boyfriend Skype-IMed his mother a very dirty greeting that was meant for me. It still shows the circling icon that I think happens when you try to send a user a message when the user does not have Skype running at the time. Is there any way to delete this before she gets it? He's freaking out, as you would too, if I told you what he just told his mother.
posted by anthropomorphic to computers & internet (12 comments total)

Does he know his mom's password? Maybe he can log in as her and receive/delete the message, then log out again.
posted by lohmannn at 10:32 AM on June 30

If she's anything like my mom, or Mr. Llama's mom, password = family pet.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 10:34 AM on June 30 [3 favorites has favorites]

password = family pet.

or just your boyfriend's name.
posted by special-k at 10:42 AM on June 30

Or if you're my mom, password = family pet + house number. She didn't quite understand my security lecture.
posted by elsietheeel at 10:44 AM on June 30

I hate to go all Luddite on you, but is there any chance he could just call her and ask her not to look at it? I mean, depending on their relationship. I know if one of my kids called with such a request I'd copy the message and send it out to the whole family in the Christmas Skype, but maybe his parents are actually decent human beings?
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 10:45 AM on June 30 [14 favorites has favorites]

To be fair, this doesn't *precisely* answer your question, but I'm a mom and believe me - if anything, mom wants to see this even less than your boyfriend wants it seen.

If it were me? I'd contact mom and tell her the truth: I accidently sent you a message meant for my SO, please delete it before you open it.

Hope this helps and good luck!
posted by Space Kitty at 10:46 AM on June 30 [1 favorite has favorites]

Maybe he could send a second message that looks like a link to some spam or porn site, then email his mom a group email (sent only to her, obviously) that pretends that his account was 'hacked' and apologising for anyone getting junk messages that appeared to be from him.
posted by tapeguy at 10:46 AM on June 30 [17 favorites has favorites]

Have your boyfriend re-open the chat window, select "show messages from ____" that includes the time period the IM was sent, then right click on the particular message he wants deleted and select "remove message". This can be done if his mom is still offline, or even online, but of course it won't help if she's already seen it
posted by alygator at 10:53 AM on June 30 [2 favorites has favorites]

If he can't hack into her account, maybe he can try being honest with her and ask her to delete it without opening it. As Space Kitty pointed out, normal mothers wouldn't want to see it anyway. My mother, on the other hand, would agree to delete without reading, but then she'd read it, print it, anoint it with oil, and bring it to her Bible study so they could all lay their hands on it and pray for me.
posted by HotPatatta at 10:58 AM on June 30 [4 favorites has favorites]

alygator's strategy worked, tapeguy's strategy was our fallback in case the first didn't work. we think he was able to delete it before he sent it. thank you everyone! you've saved me an incredibly awkward 4th of july gathering!
posted by anthropomorphic at 11:12 AM on June 30

Here is a link to the process
posted by zeoslap at 11:13 AM on June 30

Lie. Tell her that some weird virus has gone around, it will be under his name, he doesn't want to give it to her so she should delete it. Or something to that effect.
posted by dasheekeejones at 11:14 AM on June 30 [2 favorites has favorites]