Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Messenger

Video Chat requirements

lake59 — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:52:15 -0800

Our Organization uses Windows live messenger to connect clients at remote locations (children and their parents who are separated by distance). We chose this program because of it's ease of use/install for the general public. Unfortunately, some of the connections are poor quality; the video cuts out or the voice is garbled or the connection stalls altogether. MS says all that is required is dial up but we always require broadband to connect. i cannot find a comprehensive list of system/bandwidth requirements or troubleshooting tips. Any help in these areas would be excellent! Thank you!

When I die, will my grandchildren fight over who gets it?

litterateur — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:57:21 -0800

I am writer in search of a messenger bag. What is your opinion of the Saddleback Leather Company, specifically its briefcase? In your opinion, is really it worth a month's rent?

How to prevent Outlook 2007 & Live Messenger from resetting username and password?

thomasck — Sun, 10 May 2009 01:07:49 -0800

Hi this problem occurs on my wife's PC where her Outlook 2007 (Gmail) & Live Messenger (Version 2009) password settings occasionally get 'reset'. It happens maybe once a month. How do I prevent this from happening? My wife saves her username and passwords to Outlook and Live Messenger so that she doesn't have to type them each time she turns on her PC. Normally when she opens up Outlook, it will start downloading emails. Same as Live Messenger. When she opens the program, it just logins automatically.

But on rare occasion when she turned on her PC, her username and password is no longer 'saved' - Live Messenger. As for Outlook, her passwords are gone, meaning she has to type them in again. Both problems happen at the same time.

I just want to know what could be causing Outlook to forget the 'passwords' and Live Messenger to completely delete her login info (both username and password). I have tried scanning her PC for viruses using Kaspersky online scan and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, but didn't pick up anything. Her PC is currently running a live subscription of Norton Internet Security 2009.

PC details:
Microsoft Windows Vista SP1
Intel Core 2 Duo E6300
4gb RAM

Making sense of Messenger

ricochet biscuit — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:49:54 -0800

Explain windows Live Messenger to a luddite. I have had a Hotmail account for ten years or so, and I gather that at some point Messenger got bundled into this. I have never used it and it was only by accident I discovered that it was there (clicking "Home" once while in Hotmail and figuring that would take me back to my inbox and discovering it actually brings me back to home.live.com).

As a stately old gen X-er, I think I am half a generation too old to be enthralled by instant messaging, so I have ignored it. However, I see the number of network invitations is steadily growing and now there twelve or fifteen people who have apparently invited me.

First of all, if I were to accept these invitations, what is the deal? These dozen people can now see when I am online and open up a chat window? Or do I misunderstand what this is about?

As well without my ever doing anything, I seem to have a connection already. It is from a Spanish-speaking woman I knew years ago but lost touch with. There is a single word after her name and I, being a novice (both with regards to Messenger and Spanish), am struggling to put some sense to it. What I see on the "home" page (beneath the three most recent e-mails):

------

What's new with your network

Maria: extranandote | Post a note

------

I gather "extranandote" is "extrañandote" ("I am missing you") stripped of its tilde. But is this a message for me? Is the long-lost Maria letting me know she misses me? Or is this just a handle that she uses that will appear after her name?

Please help me stop getting msn messenger spam

complience — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 02:16:14 -0800

SPAM MSN Messenger Messages - when using Pidgin I hope you can help me stop getting spam messages from my msn messenger account when im logged in via Pidgin.

This seems to only happen on my Linux machine.

When I first log into my msn messenger account - i get this strange error message

Unable to add user
Uknown error (241)

I press close and login proceeds as normal, but i keep getting spam messages from users I don't know every couple of hours or so - i've posted some below, does anyone know how to stop them.

My online status should only be viewable to people on my allowed list and i only have a dozen or so people on this list. None of these people would be sending me spam - Its getting really annoying.

(00:41:03) kscheuffelkwanjai5sb06925k0e@hotmail.com: Hi I want to chat but this is my work account. Can you message me on my personal account jane.acevedo7977@hotmail.com looking foward to chatting.

(02:05:47) katherynlupama@hotmail.com: http://www.BestNightFire.com

(03:28:58) kniel0279pirab9hep0tnw99@hotmail.com: Hi I want to chat but this is my work account. Can you message me on my personal account jane.abraham0859@hotmail.com looking foward to chatting.

(06:16:57) jrbreitzphrom-borirak92z871@hotmail.com: Hi I want to chat but this is my work account. Can you message me on my personal account jane.aguilar74106@hotmail.com looking foward to chatting.

(09:05:56) kiracoolvajiralongkorn9fkx6fxvsar@hotmail.com: Hi I want to chat but this is my work account. Can you message me on my personal account jane.acosta90976@hotmail.com looking foward to chatting.

Record yahoo messenger?

nyxxxx — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 19:12:50 -0800

How can I record audio from yahoo messenger? More inside. I would like to record audio from yahoo messenger. YOu would think it could do it on it's on, but I can't seem to find anyway of doing that.

We're trying to start a call in talk show using yahoo. I tried the built in audio recorder but it would only record 1 side of the conversation. It only records the audio on the computer it's on.

Audacity doesn't seem to be able to do it either.

Am I missing something? Is there some setting in these programs so that I can record all the audio that goes through the chat room? Is it possible to do it on irc or some other program? It has to be a common program that can run under windows.

Boston area laptop bag store?

genefinder — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 07:24:24 -0800

I need a durable waterproof laptop bag for under $100, and I need to buy it in the Boston area today. My son is off to college, and for some reason we haven't had the chance to go laptop bag shopping yet. No time to order online plus he would rather see it before we buy one. I would like to go with him today and buy one in the Boston area (preferably north of Boston rather than the city if that is possible).

He wants a messenger style, and it will need to be durable as he is a well known destroyer of bags. It needs to hold a Dell Latitude D630 and a selection of textbooks (one or two at a time I guess). It would be great if it was waterproof to withstand the New England weather. And hopefully around $100, but i would be willing to invest more for one that will last.

So does anyone know of a good brick and mortar we should go check out later? I'll check back if anyone needs more information to help out.

Help Design a Timbuk2

stevechemist — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:12:29 -0800

I want to buy a new Timbuk2 Large Messenger but I can't decide what colors I want. Please help me design a custom one!

Shoot the Messenger? Cult of Personality?

divabat — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:11:26 -0800

Which causes or ideas have become more about the messenger than the message? I remember, for a while after "An Inconvenient Truth" came out, there was a lot of fuss given on Al Gore personally alongside (and sometimes more than) the attention on climate change. Now Al Gore's fame has quelled a little, but I was wondering if there have been any other social causes or new ideas that are now only remembered because of the presenter - or even if those ideas have fallen by the wayside in favour of the presenter's personality.

While Princess Diana brought landmines to greater public attention, it wasn't the cause of her fame, and the landmines cause hasn't diminished just because of her. Similarly, there isn't one clear person that can be credited for the gay rights movement or the feminist movement.

However, how many people would understand Albert Einstein's Theory or Relativity or how it's relevant to today's world? How about Stephen Hawking's work on astrophysics? Has their "celebrity" overshadowed understanding of their work on a mass level?

Also, has there been any studies or research done in this area? Is there a name for this phenomena?

Spell check in Messenger?

joelf — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:49:57 -0800

Spell check in MSN Messenger? Is there a spell check program that runs in MSN Messenger that isn't spyware?

Don't trust the messenger

Araucaria — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:10:17 -0800

EpigramFilter: What's the converse of "Don't kill the messenger"? You frequently hear the expression
Don't blame the bearer of bad news.
But you don't often hear the converse, and I believe it is equally valid:
A scoundrel or a fool can make the best of news seem bad.
"Don't judge a book by its cover" is the usual way of saying this, but it doesn't really convey the emotional weight of situations like

A brilliant symphony is premiered by an unsympathetic or incompetent orchestra and its genius remains unrecognized for years.
A child abandons her faith because her only reference point for the religion is her hypocritical family
An admirable proposition can be distorted into ridiculous Straw Man argument.
A new or nuanced idea is almost certainly going to be greeted with ridicule when it is first presented, especially if it threatens the status quo.

Surely this is an ancient insight. Am I just missing the obvious adage?

Recommend me a man bag.

chrisbucks — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 23:40:13 -0800

ManBagFilter: Looking for recommendations for a canvas/nylon messenger bag which is functional, fashionable and wont blow the bank. I'm looking for something similar to these bags. I like the style, but it is pushing the top of my price range and they don't appear to ship out of the US.

I'm after something fairly simple, well constructed, just a couple of interior pockets and easy to keep clean. A vendor who offers international shipping would be a bonus too! (to NZ).

I'm a boy. I need a bag. Does that make a bag boy?

rileyray3000 — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 15:21:49 -0800

ShopFilter: What kind of laptop bag should I get? Okay I've been looking for days and I got nothing I really like. So I'm opening it to the hive mind of buyers. Here's what I want

1) A padded laptop bag
2) Stylish (meaning nothing you'd see an I.T. guy carrying
3) Under 100 bucks
4) Not too bulky
5) Preferably messenger style but I'm open
6) For a dude. A straight dude. In a reasonable color. (So if you send me links to something pink that's bedazzled or such, I'm gonna be salty)

One that I really like is that canvas israeli paratrooper bag. Unfortunately it's not padded. And I want that. Not some padding sleeve that you put into said bag. Those are a pain.

So if you're a shopper who loves a good challenge, that's mine. I need a bag for a man with a computer. And if it's a bag like no other I will name her after the person who recommends the right accessory.

Provided they're not named something like "SmellsLikeSoup224" or anything like that.

Help a first time bike courier

loquacious — Wed, 30 May 2007 11:55:53 -0800

Help me be a bike / bicycle messenger / courier in San Francisco I need a job, contract and freelance work is drying up, and I love to ride. In traffic, even. I used to ride 500+ miles a week for transport and fun. Getting paid for riding sounds a lot better than flipping burgers for minimum wage. Yes, I know it's a lot of time in the saddle.

I am getting old, though. I'm currently 34, and if I was any older I probably wouldn't be able to do this.

I can, however, still ride like a mofo. Yesterday I broke 23 MPH on fat, underinflated tires on a beat up, broken-rear-hub, soft-front-shock-fork, messed up drive-train soft aluminum mountain bike, without standing or leaving the saddle. I can still climb steep hills. Riding in the wet and cold and rain doesn't bother me - it just cools me off and enables more riding.

I can still ride real hard, and it feels good.

I'm going out to ride at least 25 miles today - and again tomorrow for as long as I can stand, and again the next day - to get my monster legs back. Legs and knees feel great. Old, familiar muscles are responding favorably, like they're hungry for much more.

I'm looking for first hand experience with messing and couriering - particularly in SF - what to watch out for, how to handle pay disputes, what not to do, and what to do. How to develop the mental street map, how to efficiently pull tags, how to maximize cash-money results, bike safety tips, bike hardware tips, etc.

I will be acquiring a better "work" bike shortly, one more suitable for urban courier riding - probably a custom hard MTB frame w/ 700c skinnies, chopped straight bars and lots of gears. (You can have your fixies, yo. I like to coast, and I like gears.)

To start, I'll probably end up riding for Speedway.

Help me hit the ground rolling!

Yahoo Messenger ID

suzeQ — Fri, 11 May 2007 15:26:37 -0800

When I try to log in to Yahoo Messenger, the Yahoo ID menu includes the names of everyone who ever tried to log in on my machine. Is there any way to erase this list? I've found some suggestions for the PC but none for the Mac. I'm using OSX10.4.9 and the latest and greatest version of Messenger.

What is the best bag for traveling with a MacBookPro and DSLR camera/lens?

tarthur — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 18:44:51 -0800

What type of all-in-one bag would you use to fly (economy across the country) with Nikon D-80 + MacBook Pro 15" (or equivalent equipment) that is comfortable, easy to store for flight, and functional? I'm trying to find a bag (preferably messenger/over the shoulder type) to use for air travel. I need to be able to cary my D80 and 18-200 VR Lens as well as a MacBook Pro 15" and associated accessories. I've been directed to Crumpler...has anyone used these? Thank you.

Yahoo Messenger pop-ups?

kapec — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 10:46:14 -0800

What are the implications of and best response to unsolicited Yahoo Messenger pop-up messages? I get pop-up messages from Yahoo Messenger instant messaging service (or was it Hotmail?) asking for permission for others to see me online, to be
"visible" while I am online. How do these people get my contact information. Would I in any way compromise my security if I allow them to do this? What
sort of contact does it permit and how could I find out more about these people and their contacts before I reply (like they seem to be doing and what do they know about me??)

the quest to be esoteric

markovitch — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 16:03:38 -0800

does anyone sell Royal Mail Carrier Bags? after a recent trip to the UK, i'm desperate to get myself a Royal Mail mail carrier's satchel/messenger bag. I've been googling and googling and searching throughout ask.me with no luck! The only one I've found is in Japan AND very expensive. Anyone have the hookup?

I'm more than willing to pay a fair amount for it, and America/UK/European location is fine. help me be the kewl1st rider on the block!

Looking for an artsy, stylish yet functional business tote bag or messenger bag.

mintchip — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 14:51:06 -0800

Looking for an artsy, stylish, functional business tote or messenger bag. I am having the hardest time finding a tote bag that is both *artsy* and stylish and "different" yet decently made and functional. I'm in grad school, so I carry around loads of stuff at all times: oversize notebooks, huge textbooks, pens, cell phone, wallet etc. So this bag has got to fit a lot of stuff. Since my back bothers me sometimes, I'd like something that has a nice, comfy shoulder strap.

Right now I use a backpack but it just doesn't look professional or attractive for those days when I'm at my internship. (Plus, I feel like a big kid bringing my backpack everywhere and can never find anything in there!!) I want something that is less "kid" looking and more sophisticated and fashionable. I hope to transition the same bag into a casual business environment once I graduate.

I'd like to spend $100 or less, although I'm slightly flexible on that.

I'm a woman, by the way.

They're watching you...

Phire — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 22:45:49 -0800

How does MSN Messenger track your typing activity? I've wondered about this for a while now. MSN Messenger will display "XYZ is typing a message" when your contact is, ostensibly, typing a message. Having recently started using webcam more often, I've noticed that the statement remains for several seconds after they stop typing.

Were the message to stop displaying before they stopped typing, I'd just blame it on lagging time.

Anyway. How does Messenger track this? If I just move my cursor into the textbox, will it display as me typing? Sometimes a message pops up without "XYZ is typing" at all, so does that mean that short messages/single letters don't get logged? How long does that "is typing" thing stay after someone's stopped typing, and why? What prevents them from picking up the halt?

How did they get on my buddy list?

divabat — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 05:49:32 -0800

What is MSN Tracker V2.0 and am I at risk of getting hacked? I've noticed a couple of people have somehow added themselves to my MSN Messenger list. I don't recall approving them; they were just there.

During a conversation with one of them, he tells me that he got my email address off some software called "MsnTracker V2.0", which connects to the MSN servers and (I reckon) gets people there. There may have been a language barrier, but that's basically the gist of what he said. I felt really creeped out and blocked him.

I tried Googling "MSN Tracker" but didn't get anything useful. I've been told that I may be hacked (or will soon be), but I'm not sure. Spybot search only turns up with cookies for CasaleMedia; virus searches are clean.

What is this MSN Tracker business? Is it possible to track people through the MSN servers? How did they get themselves on my MSN Messenger list without me approving them? I don't use MSN that often, but this is scaring me. I've been hacked through ICQ many years ago and that wasn't fun.

any and all help appreciated, thanks!

Hijacked Yahoo account?

augustweed — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 17:23:44 -0800

I was chatting with a friend using Yahoo last night. My yahoo client started initiating a file transfer of a .wmv file without me physically initiating it. Even stranger, it was a file I didn't even have on my hard drive. I cancelled the transfer before it could complete, because by the file name, it was obviously porn (still not mine!). Has anyone had this happen to them or heard of it happening to anyone else?

Error code 80040111 can suck my left nut

Idiot Mittens — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 19:29:50 -0800

I moved and now I can't sign onto MSN Messenger. Gah? I just moved into a house on a university campus that uses its own "resnet" service along with other residences. I can't sign into MSN for some reason. I got the following message:

"Signing into Windows Messenger failed because the service is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later. Error code 80040111."

I then tried the following:

1) Checked the status of the MSN service. It's fine.

2) Went through the "help" section of the program. It told me that if I could sign in okay to MSN web messenger then it's a firewall issue. I could sign into MSN web messenger okay.

3) Checked the Windows firewall to make sure that MSN Messenger is listed as an exception. Yup.

2) Asked the other people in the house if they can sign in okay. They can.

3) Called the computer help desk for the residences, got some guy that assured me the firewall should not be stopping this program.

4) Ran Adaware, Spybot and McCafee to check for problems. Nothing.

5) Uninstalled and reinstalled MSN 7.5. Nothing.

6) Tried signing in under another hotmail email address I have. Nothing.

7) Uninstalled MSN 7.5 and installed Windows Live Messenger. Nothing. Also tried both email addresses with this.

And if it means anything, for some reason when I type my email address into the entry screen for either version of Messenger, it takes about ten seconds before what I typed shows up.

So does anyone have any other suggestions? I'm at a bit of a loss for what to do next. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Yahoo! Messenger: Problem logging in

JackO23 — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 05:06:48 -0800

I can't log into Yahoo Messenger. When I try to log in, the message "There was a problem signing into Yahoo! Messenger with Voice (BETA). Please try again a little bit later." That's been going on for two days now. Anyone else having this problem? Any suggestions on how to fix the problem so I can log into YM?

Leather Messenger Bag

tnoetz01 — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 21:05:12 -0800

I'm looking for an inexpensive (less than $80 if possible), quality, brown leather messenger bag. It'd be great if it was big enough to hold my HP Compaq nc6000 (1.34 x 12.51 x 10.31 in). Simplicity is certainly a priority, but I'd like to have some space to store pens, business cards, and the like as well.